Star Wars: Darth Maul: Revenge Edition
by Tenkai Nankobo 101
Summary: Did you enjoy reading the Darth Maul trilogy as I enjoyed writing it? Well here is the special unabridged edition including all three books into one massive volume. Enjoy Darth Maul's new light in all its glory without disruption by the end of one story!
1. SW: DM:FoP: Prologue

Darth Maul

Flame of Passion

By

Christopher Cleveland

Prologue

Mile after mile of computer screens and keyboards surrounded the scientist who wore glasses due to being near-sighted. His uniform was the same white coat, white shirt, black tie, black pants, and black shoes of any scientist. The young brown hair was trimmed and combed and his hands were covered by black gloves. He was entranced by his work which was not unusual considering that he was working on the next big thing: creating a gateway into parallel dimensions of the galaxy.

Each computer screen had a document pulled up on it as well as notes that this young man had made during his experiments. His equipment was distributed across the massive room so that any time he typed in new data, the machines could begin working on creating a device immediately. Despite a slightly chubby belly and a thick beard, this scientist was actually quite handsome for his age and considering that he had worked non-stop for the last two months. "Doctor Claudius, do you want us to begin creating the new design for the device?" asked an automated voice from the computer.

"A portable device that creates portals to other dimensions and other times isn't easy. Proceed with the designs as soon as I punch in the last bits of data," answered the doctor. Shortly after, a red light began to blink and a droid alerted him that he was receiving a call. "Send it through, if I know my clients well enough, this will be my highest bidding one," Claudius said to the droid.

"Doctor Draco, it is so good to be able to speak with you again. Have you been busy with the design that I have requested for you?" asked the hologram which was of a man in the robes of a politician. "Ah Chancellor Valorum what a pleasant surprise and yes the bomb is almost ready, I just have to add the outer shells to it and it'll be ready for your use. And please just call me Claudius or Doctor when I'm not in your actual vicinity," Claudius answered.

"Very well Claudius, when can I expect the bomb to be shipped to Coruscant and duplications made?" asked Valorum. "Well, you can expect this first one within the week but I don't know when duplications will begin. This is a very hard weapon to make, Chancellor and materials for another may be hard to come by," Claudius answered. "I understand that and I will provide you the credits for three more like it but that's all I can guarantee at the moment," Valorum said.

"That much money will be all I need, thank you for your support," Claudius said. "This has been a very tricky business but I thank you for your help. Will you be coming to lunch again?" Valorum asked. "No, I have something else I need to start work on when the bomb is finished," Claudius answered before adding it was confidential.

_The fool, 'confidential' is enough to throw him off my tail any day _thought Claudius to himself. And when Valorum had said goodbye and disconnected, Claudius resumed his work.


	2. FoP: Chapter 1

Chapter One

Patience was not only the name of a virtue but also a command that Ophelia was used to hearing from her master, a harsh and strict woman named Odette. "Patience my young Padawan, you must learn patience!" she would hear her master say. "Yes master, sorry master," she would answer back. Ophelia had been learning how to use the Force to move certain objects for the better portion of a month now and every time she tried, she would rush it and lose control.

"Rush the Force and it slips beyond your control but let it arise within you slowly and it remains within your limits. Try again and this time, please try to learn patience," Odette said to her after one session. Again, Ophelia cleared her mind of all other thoughts as she concentrated on moving the rocks that surrounded her in a circle. This time, when the rocks began to slowly ascend to level with her face, she felt the excitement and the joy sear into her mind but she kept it under control.

She completed the exercise by making the colored rocks slowly spin around her three times. After that, she carefully set them down where they had been before and brought her mind back with her body. "Well done Ophelia, you are one step closer to becoming a master now than you were before you completed the exercise. You're almost ready for the Trials now, do you feel anything about that?" Odette asked.

"Enthusiasm to please my master in the Trials and confidence in my ability to manipulate my surroundings with my mind," Ophelia answered. "Very good Padawan, that will be all for today," Odette told her. Then Ophelia watched as the wizened Jedi Master walked out of the forest they had practiced in and soon followed her, her brown cloak somewhat cumbersome. But she saw how Odette's caused her no trouble as she glided over rock and tree with ease, her double-bladed lightsaber on the right side of her belt.

Their ship was waiting for them when Ophelia finally caught up to Odette and their pilot was quick to launch their transport off the ground. "How was training today girls?" asked the pilot who was also chewing on a bit of tobacco. "It was the same old routine again except that I actually completed it this time," Ophelia answered. "Nice, you may yet be a Master while I'm alive!" the pilot cheered with zeal.

"Thanks Hal for having believed in me from the first day," Ophelia said. "You kidding me? There was no reason for me not to believe in you," Hal replied. She smiled because that was how Hal normally was towards her although she never could understand why he treated Odette differently.

Was it something that happened a long time ago? Had they had some kind of relationship besides pilot and passenger? Was it something concerning Ophelia herself or perhaps her brother? She never could get any of those questions answered and had given up trying a long time ago.

Her master's response to those sorts of questions had always been designed to tell her she shouldn't ask anyway. Coruscant was reached in an incredibly quick hyperspace trip from the forest moon they enjoyed training on. But it was enough time for Ophelia to think about all that she had been and what she sensed she was becoming. And what's more, she could see how her master was distancing from her with each and every day that passed.

A long time ago, Odette had said that she did that with her last Padawan in case he was destined to die. So when he did, she would not feel too heartbroken and be in violation of the Jedi Order's restrictions on attachment. Luckily though, he had survived and she was quick to rekindle her relationship with him but made sure to keep it strictly professional. That is, if she could help it but she didn't have to worry about that after he decided to leave the Order for personal reasons.

Last anyone heard of him, he had begun a new life as a warrior for justice that worked alone and used the Force to achieve virtuous ends by the standards of his people. He had started a family with a wife and three kids, even teaching all of them in the ways of the Force and creating a group of protectors of justice for his sector. Although his wife wasn't Force-attuned, she found her use in the group as the main computer and technology expert, even making the gadgets that were often used by her husband and their children. She herself had only met him once or twice and each time, he had looked on her as though she were to be his death one day.

Perhaps that was another factor as to why Odette was distancing herself from her. She sensed something dark that Ophelia had yet to learn about herself. "You will learn when the time is appropriate," Odette had once said to her. But when would that time come around?

Would it be soon or would it be in the distant future? Would Master Windu or Master Yoda know about her destiny and actually have a straight face when revealing it to her? How could she even know to ask them about her destiny in the first place? So many questions and not enough answers to even remotely begin a search into what was in store for her.

The good thing was that she was being assigned a new mission that would take her mind off it. According to the Council, Chancellor Valorum would need a Jedi escort in his rendezvous with a scientist by the name of Claudius Draco. _Claudius Draco? Draco is _my _last name, could this be my long-lost brother _she asked herself.

"Do not be so optimistic about meeting your brother. He is responsible for the deaths of your parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins back on your homeworld. 'All in the name of science' as he said it," Odette told her with some disgust. "You say not to be vengeful yet here you are being that way about my brother, why when it was _our _family he killed and not _yours_?" Ophelia asked.

"I'm not vengeful about that, I'm weary of letting you go meet him for the first time in twelve years. If I know him from when I met him, he has not changed a bit," Odette answered. "But then maybe he has," Ophelia said. After that, neither said any more but went with Valorum anyway.

** Meditation was always an escape** from the harsh and twisted will of his superior. This was the way Darth Maul had known it since he was a boy. Besides meditation for a greater immersion with the Dark Side, only one passion enthralled him more: the thrill of a good hunt and the promise of an honorable kill. For the past few years, his double-sided lightsaber had only taken the lives of mere pirates and space thieves, the very thought of which making him want to vomit.

_Where is the chance for the blood of a Jedi that I was promised? Where master? _he would ask himself. And it seemed as though his thoughts had been heard because at that moment, his master, Darth Sidious, entered and assured him of good news. "Your chance at a Jedi kill comes within the next six standard hours," he said.

Lord Maul smiled with zeal since now, a true test of his lightsaber skills would surely be on its way. "Chancellor Finis Valorum will meet with Doctor Claudius Draco in the Town Square. It will be during the less crowded hours of the night so you will already know how to make the best of that," Sidious explained. "What does this have to do with any Jedi, my master?" Maul asked.

"The Chancellor will suspect the meticulous and cunning Claudius of treachery. Therefore, he will bring along two Jedi Knights as an escort to counter any threat from Claudius' Dark Jedi assassin. If possible, I want both the Chancellor and the good Doctor eliminated but if you can bring back the lightsaber of one of his Jedi bodyguards, I shall be content," Sidious assured him. "I will not fail you Master," Maul vowed.

"One more detail: if the Dark Jedi fights, be sure to somehow eliminate him too. It would be better if you can get his death on the hands of the Jedi but if necessary, kill him yourself," Sidious commanded. "And do you know who the Jedi escorting the Chancellor are?" Maul said, only partially taking in his Master's order. "The Master is named Odette, a very powerful female warrior of the same race as yourself.

"She is grizzled and like you, bears a double-sided lightsaber. The other one will be her Padawan and Claudius' sister: Ophelia Draco. I'm interested more in Ophelia than her master though so if you please, _try _to keep her alive until I find what it is about her that presents conflict to her master and her brother," Sidious answered. "She drives a wedge between her brother and her master?" Maul inquired.

"I'm not sure that's what has them at odds with each other. And the answer to that question is exactly what I'm trying to find out," his master explained. "Then I shall do my best to keep her alive until you can find he answer," Maul said. "Go now my apprentice, the sooner you find a good spot to make your ambush, the better," Sidious said.

And with no more than a bow, Darth Maul of the Sith turned his back to his master and marched to his first confrontation with a Jedi. He called his lightsaber to him through the Force and placed it at his belt when it arrived in his hand. After that, he prepared his ship, the Sith Infiltrator, for yet another trip to the Town Square that Valorum would choose to meet Claudius at. It was a small place that was in the same district as both the Chancellor's office and Darth Maul's hideout here on Coruscant and crowded during the afternoon hours but tamed itself during the night since it was not a place of interest for criminals.

Thankfully, the cloaking device on this ship was too good for even the best scanners the Republic had and he had been able to make many trips to this Square as a result. When he made the landing, he figured that somewhere nearby the port that was always kept open for him would be good so that he could get back to his ship after making the hit. Nobody in the area dared to speak to Lord Maul in case he would break their backs or worse, kill them. So he was allowed to set up his ambush in peace but he was not yet sure if the Jedi would come with their Chancellor to this particular spot but unbeknownst to him, Claudius was making plans of his own for this night.

** Claudius had brought along** a pistol that he always carried for self-defense whenever he traveled and hit it behind his trench coat. He also took the liberty of hiring a skilled Dark Jedi assassin in case the Chancellor ordered his escort to do anything that wouldn't agree with Claudius' future plans. Knowing Odette and knowing his sister Ophelia, he feared no retaliation from them. His only fear when they were concerned was that they would be ordered to attack him.

"Are you sure I alone would be enough against two Jedi?" asked the assassin. "You were hired for precisely these risks. But of course, if you're not up to them, I can always find someone who is assuming you make it out of this night with your life," Claudius answered in irritation. This assassin had been more of an aggravation than a benefit and the good doctor hoped this was the last time he ever had to deal with him.

_If you're going to hire someone who willingly fights and sometimes _kills _Jedi as part of his or her living, why hire this one? There are more out there who would fight my sister and Odette for half a credit with more experience and are more reliable _he told himself. He would never know what luck he was in for at his rendezvous with the Chancellor and his escort of newly appointed bodyguards. "Just remember to go for your lightsaber the moment you see one of them reaching for theirs, okay?" he told the idiot. But no matter, he already knew which one would if it came to that.


	3. FoP: Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"Greetings Doctor Draco, how are you on this night?" asked the formal and polite Finis Valorum. "Never better Chancellor for now I have perfected the design you have sought," Claudius answered with equal formality. "Hey Claudius, how are you doing brother?" Ophelia, the Jedi Padawan and Claudius' younger sister, blurted out. "Keep away from him, remember what he did to the family you both had," Odette warned her.

"But he's my brother, can't I at least say hi? Besides, I don't even remember what he did all that much if I ever knew," Ophelia begged. "She has a point there Odette, best grant her this request. Oh and do correct me if I'm wrong but Jedi Masters like yourself are supposed to feel no desire for revenge or disgust for people like me?" Claudius replied in agreement.

"Whatever grievance is between you two put it aside. I am here on diplomatic business and precisely that _only_. Am I understood?" the Chancellor demanded. "Dear Chancellor, I assure you that I have only a mind _for _the business at hand," Claudius assured him.

"Good, now how do I best go about paying you for your tremendously excellent piece of artwork?" Valorum inquired. "Donate a fourth of the payment to the orphanages surrounding my block, one fourth of it to charity funds, another fourth to recreation centers, and send the last fourth to my bank accounts. I only need a fourth of my money to live like a king for as long as I'm alive," Claudius explained. "So little for yourself and so much for those around you?" the Chancellor asked in shock.

"Like I said, I only need a fourth of my total income to live happy since I have no wife or children to rear. Thankfully, my eldest brother has already carried on the lineage to another generation so if my sister and I were to die tomorrow, we would not take the family with us," Claudius answered calmly. "I'll make the arrangements when I get back to my office tonight or do you have a portable machine I can use to automatically make the deposits?" Valorum asked. "I brought it with me," Claudius answered.

While they continued to talk, Ophelia whispered how talk made her yawn and fall asleep. "Patience Padawan, it will be over soon and you can get back to training when we return to the Temple," Odette assured her. "This will be a while Mistress so you and my sister make yourselves comfortable in the meantime. After all, business meetings are not the sort of thing to take a girl who can destroy a fourth of Coruscant with only a seventh of her power put into her special scream to," Claudius told her. Odette nearly lost her temper but held it in her gut since she was supposed to be a Master setting an example for her apprentice.

Still, she couldn't bear to hear mention of that scream it was a greater power than she had ever seen in her career. As Claudius said, one seventh of her power put into it could destroy a fourth of Coruscant which forced Odette not to think about what would happen if she went to full power one day. "Ophelia, you are stronger than she leads you to believe and do not doubt it for a moment," Claudius said before taking a seat at table they had walked to while discussing business. "What's so wrong with my scream if I am like every other Jedi and use it only when I _must_?" Ophelia asked.

"You will learn in due time," Odette replied. "I think it will be a little sooner than the amount of time you define as 'due time'," Claudius said. Then he pulled out his concealed blaster and disabled the Chancellor's weapon which hung from his belt. "You know Chancellor, I have nothing against you personally but business is business.

"Besides, at point blank range, the hole in your head will look like somebody stabbed you with a lightsaber," he explained to Valorum. He aimed his WESTAR-34 pistol at Valorum's forehead, aiming to kill him instantly as a lightsaber would. And knowing that he would be no match for the power of that blaster, he tried to run. However, the Dark Jedi's orange lightsaber came down in front of his face, preventing an escape.

"Don't bother, even if he hadn't been there I would still have killed you since I customized this thing to shoot and kill a human being from a distance. Plus I am a good enough aim to take off a chunk of your skull without my glasses on if you tried to run," Claudius warned him. "But why do this?" Valorum asked. "Business is business and I am being paid very well to frame the Jedi for your death _and _complete a very special design I've been working on in secret," Claudius answered.

"What design are you working on?" Ophelia inquired out of curiosity. "I'd tell you if you weren't going to die anyway. Assassin, deal with the Jedi while I savor the thrill of killing the Chancellor," Claudius ordered. Odette and Ophelia both ignited their lightsabers only for Ophelia to be ordered to back down by Odette due to her abilities with a double-sided lightsaber.

** Darth Maul watched as all** of this happened before him. At first, he couldn't quite tell what he should do considering that his master had clearly ordered him to kill the scientist _and_ the Chancellor. Should he make it easier on himself and have Claudius kill him before springing into action? No, he couldn't afford to let the Jedi get away in the event this fateful night turned up no bounty for him and with that thought, he lunged out of the night.

**Ophelia sensed the dark** figure long before she saw it and reignited her lightsaber to confront it. She slashed and it ducked under her before it ignited two blades on opposite sides of an abnormally long hilt. Gulping in recognition of the weapon, she knew she now had no choice but to fight whoever this was even if she had practically _no _experience fighting whatsoever. "You're very brave but also very stupid to be fighting me," the figure quietly said.

As Odette fought the Dark Jedi and took a little while to notice the figure attacking her Padawan, Ophelia sensed somewhat of a kindred spirit in this mysterious man. The green blades of Odette's lightsaber clashing against the Dark Jedi's lightsaber were a blur to Ophelia who could barely keep her own blue blade on the defense as it was. "I don't want you, I only want your brother, the Chancellor, and your Master," the figure told her. "Why not me?" she asked.

"You will learn why eventually but right now, I cannot tell you because I know no more than the fact that I was ordered not to kill you," the figure answered. It was so strange to hear that from this man that was fighting her and had barely even known her a few seconds. If he didn't want to kill her, why was he even bothering with her? As if he were hearing her ask this question of herself, he answered that it was perhaps because she had attacked him in defense of her brother and the Chancellor.

When she turned around, she was surprised to see that both her brother and the Chancellor were running away from the scene. Claudius was still trying to get a good aim and shoot the Chancellor but people were starting to get in the way. "Ophelia, take this assassin while I take that dark figure fighting you," Odette commanded. "No Master, it's precisely what he _wants_, he just told me!" Ophelia shouted but as usual, Odette would have none of it.

**Chancellor Valorum fled** as close to the way back to his Office as he could while simultaneously dodging blaster bolts from Claudius' weapon. "You were ever very light on your feet Chancellor and that shall cost you dearly on this night," Claudius said. "There can't possibly someone who asked you to kill me?" Valorum said, confused as could be. "You're right, I lied so that the Jedi were thrown off my trail," Claudius replied.

"But how can you do this to them, with your own sister being the Padawan?" Valorum asked. "I do this for her because I always sought to understand why it is that our parents favored her so much for just her abilities in the Force and not me and my brilliant mind," Claudius answered. "A bit of sibling rivalry, got you," Valorum said. Just then, Claudius opened fire and shot the Chancellor on the shoulder as he told him to shut up. "No more debate, I'm going to kill you now and return your body to the scene so that the Jedi can be framed," he vowed before aiming for the Chancellor's head.

**Ophelia had been knocked** down by the dark figure as he made his way toward Master Odette. She watched helplessly as the warrior and the Dark Jedi made individual efforts to destroy her. "Go Ophelia, it seems they only want me. You were apparently meant to walk a different path from me," Odette ordered.

"Master, I know you don't like argument but you'd best be taking my lightsaber along side yours. Remember how you fought when you did that once? Maybe you can do the same now against these two warriors," Ophelia replied. She threw her lightsaber at her Master after finishing that sentence and decided to pursue her brother, using the element of surprise.

_Why he would kill his highest bidder is beyond me. Did he do something illegal that the Chancellor would arrest him for if he found out? I hate getting dragged into politics even if it's my brother _she told herself. Then she blacked out all thoughts except to stop her brother from killing the Chancellor and framing the Jedi for his crime.

** "Ha, you may have** three blades but we will still kill you," the Dark Jedi told her. _Your cockiness _will _be your undoing if you're not lucky _Lord Maul thought discreetly. "If you mean to mistaken my old age for weakness and lack of coordination, you really should amend your opinion before it's is too late for you," the Jedi replied. For once, Maul found himself agreeing with his target which he had thought highly unlikely before she said that.

"You are full of surprises, old woman. I hope for a good fight before you die," he said to her. "Though a ruthless killer you are, I see there is something very virtuous if not courteous about you," she told him. However, Maul didn't find anything courteous or virtuous about his life as a Sith Lord besides the thrill of the kill but he didn't say that lest he blow his cover. So he kept fighting and as he and the Dark Jedi competed for the prize of her head, he noticed something.

That though her fighting was spectacular, she was drawing on less of her physical strength and more of her Force energy. It meant that in her old age, she had lost a lot of the natural stamina and grace she had when she was younger. He could tell that his Dark Jedi friend had yet to notice that and he knew he didn't have to make any effort to keep it that way. The less experienced assassin showed all the signs of a dead man that Maul had seen before and he knew this wasn't going to be pretty for the assassin if it was going to be for him.

So he simply shifted from the normal tactics of wielding a double-sided lightsaber to incorporating the aggressiveness and finesse of his favorite style: Juyo. While his friend used a nearly carefree performance of Form Two, Makashi, and thus distracting her, Maul continued to strike down her defenses and make her turn more to the offense. He knew if he could make her resort to eliminating the distraction at a time of approaching fatigue, he would be able to take her down regardless of what happened to the cocky bastard next to him. Then she surprised him by deflecting some lightning that the Dark Jedi shot at her and gouging out his left eye.

Maul watched as the other man attempted to take his revenge for that blow and observed how his rage made him sloppy. _Apparently he doesn't know how to draw upon the powers of the Dark Side as I do _Maul said, taking a mental note of his fighting prowess and character. Finally, Maul saw the opportunity he needed to not worry about the Dark Jedi when Odette deactivated one blade on her dual-sided saber, fought with two blades until she had him where she wanted him, and reactivated the other blade so that it plunged in and out of his abdomen. All the while, he had attempted to slice her in two from the head down only to have his blade intercepted by that of Odette's Padawan's wielded by her master.

Maul watched with no pity as the Dark Jedi fell on his back and clutched his wounded stomach with one arm and his lightsaber with the other. Smiling, the Dark Lord of the Sith acquired an idea that he felt would work: giving the Jedi Master a taste of her own skill, with more physical strength than she could give it and more rage fed into the fight. Using the Force, he called the lightsaber of the fallen assassin to him and began to wield it alongside his own. "If you mean to mirror my skills, assassin, know that none that I have faced have ever done that successfully," Odette warned him.

"I'm not anyone you have faced before now am I?" Maul said, practically whisper but one that show a lust for blood. He reignited the orange blade of the near-dead Dark Jedi and charged into the heart of battle with the Jedi Master. Odette had never seen fury like this before and was forced to yield ground, switching from the offensive Form IV Ataru she had been using to her mastery of the defensive III Soresu. However, even that was not enough as Maul managed to send her primary weapon flying out of her hand and forcing her to resort to her Padawan's lightsaber, a traditional blade she had not wielded in thirty years.

"Impressive young man, can I know the name of the man who will defeat and kill me?" Odette asked Maul. Just then, Maul stabbed her with the Dark Jedi's lightsaber in the center of her chest. Time lagged considerably as Odette's wizened face expressed her surprise in Maul's fighting abilities. "Maul… _Darth_ Maul," he whispered before yanked the lightsaber upward and slicing her in two from the chest up.

The blow was enough to kill her instantly and he cast aside the lightsaber of the fallen Dark Jedi. Then he collected the lightsaber of Odette and ran off into the night before anyone could arrive on the scene. In his wake, he made sure to make it look like the Dark Jedi had killed Odette and throw the scent off of him. It was something he made sure to do for the good of the Sith and his Master's dreams as well as his own.

**"It's a shame that** being the special girl, Mommy and Daddy never taught you how to fight," Claudius mocked her as hope seemed lost for her. Ophelia had been fighting her brother for what felt like hours but was merely a period of half a standard hour. Bloodied, bruised, she knew her brother meant to kill her with the superhuman strength he had been born with. "C'mon, conduct the scream and hopefully send me flying into the air like a leaf," Claudius mocked with a smile. And she decided why not considering that without her lightsaber, her options were relatively limited to that or getting herself killed by her brother; it all seemed hopeless for her…


	4. FoP: Chapter 3

Chapter Three

The Chancellor had narrowly escaped with his life but now, he was coming back with the aid of Master Mace Windu and Yoda. With both of the great masters at his side, he returned to where Ophelia had drawn Claudius away from him and disarmed the mad scientist. Yoda and Windu had their lightsabers ignited when they arrived upon the scene. But the sad thing was that the madman had long departed, leaving a beaten Ophelia coughing blood, attempting to mend a black eye, and making her best efforts to stand almost simultaneously.

Beside her was a note and Yoda told her not to move while Windu plucked her off her belt. "I tried to stop him but without my Master, I couldn't," she said. "Worry you should not, young Padawan. Rest you should until a stretcher we obtain for you," Yoda told her.

"Master, perhaps you best hear or read what this note has to say," Windu said, sounding a tad disappointed. "Please do so," Yoda said. "_Jedi Masters of the Republic, by the time you obtain this, I will have departed and made my way back to my hidden base of operations. Please understand that I intended only to kill Odette and Ophelia for personal reasons. _

"_However, the Chancellor's involvement as well as the fact that my plans did not include the business rendezvous forced me to attempt to eliminate him as a witness. Please take note that my original intent was to frame you for the death of the Chancellor and make my assassin look like a hero but that would have been too easy. So I challenge you to follow me on a trail that will take you only one way and to only one place: any that I choose. Do hurry as more than the galaxy may be at stake if you don't,_" Mace read, concluding by reading that Claudius' signature on it.

"The writing of a madman this is, stopped Claudius must be," Yoda said. "I agree and who better to do it than his sister when she is fit to travel again?" Windu asked him. "You want me to go after my brother and try to stop him on my own?" Ophelia inquired. "If your Master is dead, she cannot see you complete your final Trial," Windu said to her.

"I didn't even know I passed the other two," she replied. "Remember when you were challenged to face an old enemy of yours on Temple grounds?" Windu asked her. "That kid Brock was numbskull that had to learn I wouldn't tolerate any crap from him but yes I remember," Ophelia answered. "You passed the Trial of Skill at that point and did you notice anything particularly interesting about your fight with your brother just a few moments ago?" Windu asked, curious to see how she would answer.

"He wanted me to use my sonic scream to destroy him but I knew it wouldn't work," she told him. "You passed the Trial of Insight when you realized what his goal was and refrained from aiding its completion," Windu replied. "An advancing Padawan you are and now, the Trial of Spirit you must complete before ascend to Jedi Knight you can," Yoda said. "I'm willing to do it but first, we have to see if Odette is alive and, regardless, recover my lightsaber from the scene of the crime," Ophelia said before doing her best to stand up.

Chancellor Valorum came beside her and helped her as did Master Windu before they made their way to the scene of Odette's fight with the two assassins. And when they arrived, Yoda's ears sloped down and he seemed to become somewhat sullen. Windu looked as though he was going to lose it and Ophelia couldn't help but slip a tear across her eye. Her Master was dead, sliced in two from the chest up alongside the Dark Jedi that had attempted to take the Chancellor's life.

Though she would never tell the Chancellor or anyone this, she immediately deduced that it was the shadowy figure she had attacked. She called her lightsaber to her belt and made both a verbal and silent promise that when she was better, she would track down her brother and bring him to justice. "Do you understand the immensity of what you've been asked to do? After a few days in the bacta tank, you cannot return from the Temple until your mission is complete," Windu asked her to be answered with a nod.

** Maul couldn't help but** feel betrayed by what had happened. The meeting was too convenient of a setup to have accidentally coincided with his arrival. Plus it was also seemed a little too convenient that his Master had somehow known Jedi Master Odette and her Padawan were going to escort the Chancellor to his meeting with Claudius. Darth Sidious had some questions to answer but Maul was not prepared to see him waiting the apprentice in his headquarters.

"Master Odette is dead?" Sidious asked. "Yes my Master, I bring her lightsaber as proof," Maul answered. He threw the deactivated weapon at his Master, who perfectly caught it with just one hand. "I understand you have questions for me concerning the mission, it's a good thing you kill first and ask questions later," Sidious said to him.

"First question: how did you know Master Odette and her Padawan would be escorting the Chancellor at the precise time of the meeting?" Maul asked. "That was easy enough to come by with my influence and position in the Republic. He somewhat made it an announcement since he and Claudius had been working on a radical advancement in weapons technology," Sidious answered. "Second: what weapon was that?" Maul continued.

"A kind of bomb that if detonated could destroy an entire planet from surface to atmosphere with a single blow. Something that would be very useful in restoring our order to its full potential," Sidious calmly replied to his apprentice. "Third: did you want them both eliminated so that you could gain sole control of the weapon for yourself?" Maul persisted. "Since they were the only two that owned the patent and Valorum made me his replacement in the event of his death, why not?" Sidious answered, maintaining a cool head.

"Last: have you found out what it is that's so intriguing about Odette's Padawan yet?" Maul finished. "Not quite but I believe you will have the chance to discover that for yourself. I still need Claudius dead so you are still assigned to that detail of the mission. However, an added bonus is that Ophelia will be pursuing him the moment she is able to and will hinder your quest.

"If you think you have already found out her secret, feel free to kill her should she get in the way," Sidious explained. "I don't have the answer yet but I do have a clue," Maul said. "And what is that?" Sidious asked, now being the one with the questions. "Claudius mentioned something about a sonic scream that could be amplified by her Force power, it's not much but it could be a start," Maul answered.

"Good work my apprentice, start with that clue on the side and begin your pursuit of Claudius in the morning," Sidious commanded. "Yes my Master," Maul replied. Then he left for his headquarters to recover his strength from having successfully killed a Jedi Master for the first time in his life. He still felt a bit of the adrenaline still flowing in his veins and sleep was initially difficult so he decided to meditate and calm his mind and body instead.

** Ophelia had never really** been good with the bacta tanks in spite of how well they actually did their work. Something about getting into a tank of water set her minor claustrophobia and her hatred of any greater quantity of water than a glass for drinking. Regardless, she healed relatively quick after two or three days in the bacta tank and was ready to begin her mission. As if knowing exactly when she would be ready for travel, Mace Windu appeared with a chip she recognized as a message recorder.

She asked Master Windu to put it through and when he did, she saw the all too familiar figure of her brother. "Hello sister, by now, you have surely recovered from the shock that my pounding inflicted upon you," he began. Though it was just a thought and the hologram couldn't respond, she asked if he had to throw that out there. "Until you and your master attempted to stop me, my greatest public achievement was at hand but my greatest achievement _ever _has yet to come," the hologram continued.

Ophelia thought about this carefully but realized her brother would explain. "You see, in public, I worked on the bomb so that the Republic could gain the means of keeping the nasty pirates and other enemies in check. However, my even greater weapon is not the bomb but this," he said, holding up what looked like a blaster. But of course, it was anything but that as he would elaborate to her.

"In secret, I have been working on the possibility of our life forms being just a few of billions but I found more than that. We're all the creations of one branch of history, where our ancestors made a choice and a second where they didn't. In other words, as a result of choices, there are near infinite dimensions that make up reality. And as Heraklion is the place where we humans made our beginnings in the galaxy, I figured I'd steal one of my bombs and find the version of Heraklion that began all reality.

"I shall do via a detector of Force energy connected in my portal and the stronger it gets, the closer I am to what I call Heraklion Prime. Once I'm there, I will use the bomb I have taken to destroy all reality as well as the Force. If you wish to stop me, come to the Heraklion we know as soon as you can; I'm dying to find out the true extent of your abilities with the guidance of the late Odette forever attached to you," Claudius mocked. His smile was the last thing she saw before his hologram fizzled and disappeared, ending the recording and since it could only be used once, Mace disposed of it.

"Ophelia, I feel very strongly that this may be a trap but I think it's necessary that you go. If you return, you'll have completed the Trials and you can then ascend to Jedi Knight. But do you understand the magnitude of this? If he's not lying, he threatens to destroy the universe and the Force altogether so in order to stop him, you may have to work with a few unlikely allies," Windu asked.

"I fully understand the magnitude of the charge I am accepting. Besides, I won't rest until my brother is brought to justice for his treason, whether it is in this dimension or another," she told him. "Then here's your lightsaber and I have a ship waiting for you whenever you're ready to go to Heraklion," Windu replied. "Thank you Master, you have been most kind," she told him.

"I have faith in your skills as I had faith in Odette's when she was entering the Trials. After all, she was _my _Padawan just as you were once hers," he said. "I will not disappoint you regardless of what happens to me," she assured him. "You have already done great things Ophelia, my Master Yoda has even said you have the makings of one of the greatest Masters he ever had the pleasure of knowing," Windu said.

She thanked him and asked where the ship was docked so she could begin her mission right away. "Don't you want a cloak to go with your suit?" he asked. Ophelia looked briefly at her suit which was grey and the sleeves were more realistic than those of a normal Jedi robe. "I think with or without the cloak, people will recognize me for a Jedi when they see my lightsaber," she told him.

"Thinking like Odette already, that may come in handy where you could be going," he said with a contented smile. "Thank you again Master, I best be going before my brother destroys all reality," she said. The ship was a Republic cruiser that was colored red which meant that it was on a diplomatic mission to some unidentified planet. Or so most people would assume considering that only the pilot, the passengers, and the supervisors knew where the ship was destined to go. Ophelia took one last look at the Coruscant sky before boarding the ship to Heraklion. It was a beautiful, starry night her Master used to love before she died; the memory of Odette made her stop right there with that thought.


	5. FoP: Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Darth Maul received the recording that his master had given him and had said was directed for him from Claudius. After hearing how the madman had discovered a way to destroy reality, he knew he had to stop him by any means he could. "Which is precisely what I will send you to do," Sidious said as if seeing his very thoughts. "Please do so Master, this is beyond insanity: it's psychopathic," Maul said.

"Kill him or all reality suffers for your failure but be hasty about it. Ophelia seeks to intercept Claudius and bring him to justice through the Republic's system. If you kill him before she is given that chance, you can then return to the wing of our blackness just as quickly and easily," Sidious told him. "My lord, if I may say so, I have a better idea," Maul said.

When Sidious told him he could explain, he did. "Ophelia aims to bring down Claudius as I do. Perhaps it is best that we work together, me keeping my true association a secret and her assuming I'm just another assassin. We could continue that way until Claudius is brought down and then I can kill her if you desire it," he said.

"I never took you for one to think about your mission before you go about it. However, I do like your idea and I do approve of it. Go now on the Sith Infiltrator and intercept her just in case Claudius uses his portal to go to another dimension," commanded the Dark Lord of the Sith. Maul was on board his ship immediately and punched in the coordinates for Heraklion as soon as he was in space, which was only a matter of minutes thanks to his ship's invisibility cloak. It was a race against time that Maul knew had the risk of all reality and the essence of the Force being destroyed if he failed.

** Claudius' laboratory was one** of immense fortune and power that took up most of the useless resources from Heraklion. That is, useless to the Republic but not useless to fueling the electricity of his laboratory and keeping his droids up and running 24/7. It wouldn't matter once he reached "Heraklion Prime", as he had dubbed the oldest dimension of the universe, because then, they would cease to exist and so would everything else. Including himself but it helped to be a nihilist at this time because he would have not had the stomach under any other circumstances.

He tied the belt with his blaster's holster across the waist, holstered his weapon, and threw his coat on before telling his droids to put the laboratory on full alert. "Even if it's my sister, I want no intruders," he told them. "Roger that sir, all laser scanners are online now as the blasters soon will be, there will not be a thing for you to worry about while you're away sir," said EMVFG-1976803, shortened as EMV1 to not confuse him with the hundreds of others he had. Claudius smiled at how droids could continue their mundane tasks without any malcontent in their wiring.

_Nothing ever matters, that's the way of Nihilism _he reminded himself, keeping firm and constant as a great philosopher had once said about a different matter. "Is my portal gun ready?" Claudius asked EMV1. "Ready for use whenever you are," EMV1 answered. Claudius smiled and took the portal gun from his old friend before aiming it at a place on the wall he knew would guide him to his first stop on the list.

It was a version of Heraklion where war was a common occurrence and intelligence of any kind except instinctive was discouraged. And by that, Claudius had made sure to emphasize "_very _discouraged" in his notes of the place. He had even documented a typical conversation between two or more people in several surveillance projects he did in secret, documenting over three million conversations in a standard week and over four billion in a month. And not one of these billions was one that had words like 'uh' never being uttered nor questions like 'you wanna go get laid?' being left out.

They lived in a world where war was a pastime rather than something to fear. He smiled, pitying the fools and their simplicity. It had been all too easy for him to set up the surveys and document the conversations. These morons went to sleep when they had eaten, used the restroom, mated, talked with each other and could think of nothing else to do. The only thing they seemed to do right was maintain a nice steam bathhouse. He had taken a bath in one and the water was almost perfect, apart from the bathhouses of Coruscant.

"Even fools do some things right and it seems as though these ones get their baths right," he thought in his head and out loud. He stepped through the portal and knew that it would take a few moments before he was on the other side. However, he was very sure of his coordinates as he had traversed this way before. As promised, he arrived at the world of the morons after a few moments in between dimensions.

The first time he had gone through the portal, it had made him want to vomit. But as he did more often, his body adjusted to it until this time where he felt nothing. Unfortunately, he had never been to another dimension besides that one and figured that by scanning for the strongest source of Force energy, he could then go over to the next one until he reached Heraklion Prime. With this in mind, he began his work on what he dubbed Blade Heraklion for its use of blades rather than guns whenever war was waged.

** Ophelia knew where her** brother's laboratory was by heart for she had visited him more than once during her missions with Odette. Whenever she needed something analyzed (which more often than not couldn't be analyzed by the droids in the Archives) she would turn to him although she had no love for him. One time, she had brought in a dart that he had likely seen before and he had recognized it for an illegal patent from Mandalore. "The Republic banned this two hundred years ago, making this incredibly rare," he had said.

When she saw the Omega symbol on the top of a little hut in a small village, she knew where it led. She even knew the codes for how to get in when security was at its highest or so she had been led to believe. When she arrived at the hut, she tried to type in a familiar code but was told that it was invalid because the place was on such high security that even Ophelia wasn't allowed in. "Claudius, if you're in there, deactivate the security systems and let me in; we have to talk," Ophelia said.

Turrets came out of a pair of sockets, one on each side of her, and were warming up to gun her down. She ignited her lightsaber and braced herself for some deflecting that she knew she would have to do. Then the biggest insult came when the front door was ray-shielded because she knew she had to destroy the turrets in order to undo the shield. The lasers came at her with the velocity of twenty bolts a second but she was able to deflect all these and even sent some right into the ray-shielded wall before aiming just right and sending a bolt back at each turret and destroying them.

She cut her way through the door and into the laboratory, the tunnel leading down to the chambers of experimentation unopened. As before, she cut her way through, guessing that no code she knew would work for opening it safely and diplomatically. Her blue blade was the only light in the darkness of the tunnel but when she opened, she suddenly came across the line of white lights that ran down the entire elevator shift (the elevator itself consisted of glass and metal bars) which spiraled a few miles under the ground. _How he gets around so quickly even with this is beyond me _she said to herself before pressing a button that would bring her as far down as the elevator was permitted.

She remembered that after the elevator, there was a staircase that led down to yet another door. Behind it was Claudius' laboratory, bathroom and connected sleeping quarters off to the side of it. For all his ability with technology, his bedroom and its extension that was the bathroom were amazingly simple. In his bedroom was merely a bed with a nightstand next to it and a lamp on top, a few holographic books in a relatively large shelf off to the side, and two doors.

One that led into and out of the room and one that led into and out of the bathroom which had a bathtub, a connected shower, and a sink with toothbrush, toothpaste, and shaving kit on its counter. She didn't initially bother with searching his sleeping quarters and bathroom because of their simplicity and instead went to see what she could find in the laboratory. Besides the dozens of droids with vibroblades and blasters that she had to destroy as well as the several laser fences and turrets she had to deactivate, she found only notes on his data screens. At first, she thought they were relatively silly but then paid more attention as she felt they were somehow connected to her mission.

Sure enough, the notes told of a pathway from one dimension of the galaxy to the next. _So my brother solved the problem of how to traverse other dimensions, very impressive _she said to herself. And she had to admit that it was considering that no other scientist in the galaxy had considered the possibilities, let alone worked on the problem for nearly as long as her brother had (a total time of at least eleven years). "You are in a secured zone, please follow me out before I am authorized to use physical force," said a droid that somehow came behind her.

She decapitated the droid in one swift stroke of her lightsaber then sliced off its upper body at the chest along with an arm in another stroke. "That's enough of that little affair, now let's see what information I can immediately gather from these datapads. Maybe I can figure whether or not I can follow him," she thought aloud. "It doesn't take a genius to figure out that you can," said a ghostlike but somewhat familiar voice.

Again, she ignited her lightsaber with the means of confronting whoever was there. "Who are you?" she asked the emptiness. "Forgive my intrusion if it startled but I am a rogue warrior with the same purpose as yourself: bring down Claudius," said a man dressed from head to toe in black. Deactivating her blade, she asked who it was she was being introduced to for the first time.

"I have no real name but if I had one to give, you could call me Maul," the man said to her. "Hmm, strange name but very well, I accept," she said back. But before she could introduce herself, she was surprised to find out he already knew who she was. "Okay then, since you said it doesn't take a genius to find out that he left me a means of following, where would you suspect he did?" she asked him.

"Simple enough to answer: his sleeping quarters or the bathroom as he suspected it would take you a good long while to figure that out," replied Maul. "If you insist we check there, go ahead and start but I'm going to be looking at these files while you check that," Ophelia said. He nodded and went through the door that led into Claudius' private spaces. Funny thing was that while he was away, she sucked dry all the information she could get on different realities of Heraklion.

In one reality, the people of the world have become so stupid that they wage war for no reason at all and intelligence higher than that of an animal was discouraged at any time. This one was dubbed by Claudius as Blade Heraklion for its use of blades rather than blasters. Another one showed humans becoming mutated, meat-eating creatures of the night that have already wiped out all other species of life on the planet and another where the evolutionary ancestors of humans never made the choice to crawl up on land from the waters and thus, left Heraklion to mighty insect creatures. And she learned that Claudius managed to pinpoint where to go next based the amount of Force energy protruding from a certain point on that dimension's Heraklion.

In the case of this one, the strongest point of the Force was in this laboratory but who knows what it could be on any of the others, right? She finished her research just in time for Maul to return and announce a portal was in the bathroom. "Good, let's take it to wherever he aimed it," she said. Quickly, they stepped through and began their pursuit of Dr. Claudius Draco.


	6. FoP: Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Maul had managed to tell no more than his name to Ophelia and decided it was best to let that stay. After all, if he was going to collaborate with her, she couldn't know that he was the one who killed her Master nor the figure she had battled with on that same night. After they went through the portal, they arrived at a place that smelled rancid upon first breath in it and his nose wrinkled from the disgusting scents. It smelled like a mixture of urine, feces, rotten fruits and meats, stale farts, and other things he thought would be best not to think of.

But there was a symbol of a sword on a red background that kept recurring. He never bothered to ask Ophelia what it meant because he had a feeling she would explain herself. Sure enough she did: "This must be Blade Heraklion due to the recurring symbol." He nodded in agreement and immediately pointed out Claudius since he was cleaner than the rest of the people.

"Follow me if you two fools can," he mocked. He then ran in the opposite direction and told a bunch of the disgusting sights around him something that made them come rushing at Maul and Ophelia. "Freeze douche bags!" said one of them. "This is the police force on this planet?" Maul asked Ophelia with a tinge of disappointment in his voice. "Guess so," she replied, equally unimpressed with this revelation.

"Go on after Claudius, I'll handle these poor excuses of men," Maul told her. Though she was initially uncertain of what he meant to do, she nodded and ran after her brother. "Hold on bitch, where you going?" asked one of them. Then she surprised Maul with a minor sonic scream, which sent the man flying to the other side of her, shooting past his partners who were too dumbfounded by that performance to notice her continued flight.

Maul used this time to walk up to the nearest officer and run him through one of his blades. After tossing him aside, the other officers noticed their comrade's death and unsheathed their blades to avenge him. The first man to attack was immediately felled by a stab from Maul's lightsaber before he ignited the other side and only had to play around to kill them. He scalped one man alive, mutilated another, and stabbed three more before the remaining two retreated.

The one who had been tossed aside revived after that and insisted on attacking Maul if he couldn't get at Ophelia. Maul smiled, congratulating the man's bravery before approaching him with murderous and vicious intent. "What the hell are you saying dude? Are you some kind of fag?" the idiot officer asked.

Angered by the insult and having no parting words for him, Maul grasped his throat in a Force choke and crushed his already frail throat until he had drawn his last breath of life. Nobody dared to oppose him after seeing an entire squad of officers wiped out with ease but did talk about him behind his back. He had to quickly catch up with Ophelia but luckily, it wasn't hard finding her or her brother. In fact, it was almost too easy since the people cleared out of his way and brought Ophelia into his line of sight for him.

**Claudius knew that now** would be a good time to use his blaster to distract Ophelia long enough to activate a smoke bomb in his pocket. It was the only way to be sure that he could escape to a far enough distance to make himself difficult to catch up with. _Why should I make it easy for her to catch me when I have a universe to destroy _he reminded himself. Ultimately, the blaster did its trick in slowing her down and he unleashed the smoke bomb.

While she was distracted with it, he fled to the side and disappeared into an alley. When he came to a dead end, he climbed up to the rooftops and continued his flight until he was far enough away to give her a trail but not make himself easy to catch either. After losing the trail, he walked into the home of a couple that looked inbred rather than human and their seven children were no prettier in appearance. "Uh, what the fuck are you doing in my house?" asked the man who was also grotesquely fat and was seated on a chair that looked like it was broken beyond all repair.

"Taking over residence for right now," Claudius replied. Then he scored a fatal shot between the eyes with his blaster before taking out the wife and all seven of the children without remorse or pity for any of them. "Nothing personal, just can't have any hindrance to my plans for this place," he said to the dead man. Since it was nighttime now (it had been that way on the previous Heraklion as well) he figured it was best to rest and let Ophelia and the dark figure continue their pursuit if they wished.

_I think I'm going to enjoy my stay while I'm waiting for them. Besides, what difference does it make when I have the ability to trace the greatest amount of Force energy on this forsaken planet before transferring myself to another dimension and they do not _he said to himself. He activated his portal gun and read the scanners for where he had to go next. As long as there was Force energy, he didn't need anything but this gun to scan the planet.

Luckily, though weak, he managed to pick up a signal of Force energy that was not too far from his immediate area. In fact, it was about three or four miles before he reached it and would then go to where it was strongest before creating a portal to his next destination. Sure he could go anywhere, regardless of Force energy, but it was best to use it anyway so as not to wind up in the heart of a star in some unknown region in an unknown dimension. _I guess perhaps I can settle for the night and why not, I left them the clue they'll need to know I'm here then be able to follow me in the morning _he asked himself, concluding his night by commenting that it was very good.

** "Damn, lost him!" Ophelia** cursed. Biting her tongue to hold her temper, she couldn't believe that her brother, a mere mortal compared to her, could so easily slip from her grasp. "It's not your fault, it happens even to the best of us," Maul said. "But _I _of all people in the Order was assigned to capture my brother, I had that chance and I let it slip away," she said.

Maul had placed a hand on her shoulder as a reassurance that she could make mistakes, something he had never done before nor had known to have had done to him by his master. He watched as she eased herself into the bed he had found her then decided to meditate for a couple hours before continuing the pursuit of her brother. Meditation was always easier in times like these where the trail of his quarry was somewhat blurred by a lack of clues. And why not, sometimes it enlightened his way to victory.

However, he did not intend to use this meditation to enlighten himself to anything. Instead, he intended to use this session to refresh himself more than sleep ever could then see if he could find a lead on his target. And why not? He could probably detect a lead much better than Ophelia herself could.

If he knew mad scientists well enough from his previous mission, they always left a clue in the most obvious of places. Ones where the Jedi would overlook and be entirely misled by what they thought were clues but were not. _Perhaps he left a small flag of the Heraklion we knew or something that could only have come from our dimension in a nearby facility _Maul told himself. Maul meditated on that resolve for two and a half hours then set out to find out where Claudius could have left such an important clue.

Shockingly, it didn't take him that long to recognize something he knew was from his own dimension rather than this one. It was a probe droid that looked not too different from the type he used in his normal missions. In fact, were it not for the color and build of it, he would have said it was the same type but he knew the purpose it had. It was to stand guard and let Claudius know when either Maul or Ophelia was onto his tail again and would return to Claudius if it spotted him.

And Maul would have made sure to somehow provoke it and make it go back to Claudius had some idiot not told asked him for money. "Sorry but I have none," Maul told him. "Sure you do, why else would you be wearing those fag clothes?" asked the homeless beggar. Disgusted by that attitude, Maul immediately ran him through his lightsaber and killed him almost instantly.

The probe droid noticed this and immediately flew off to return to its master. Maul followed, knowing it would lead him to Claudius' hideout but put enough distance between it and himself that when Claudius would surely try to find him, he couldn't even with his glasses on. He followed the probe and sure enough, he found it go into a little house that looked more like a hut than a house. Claudius stepped out and looked around before deactivating the probe and going back inside the house.

Maul then retraced his steps and immediately woke up Ophelia, who had been knocked out for nearly five hours. "Come on, I found where your brother is and we need to track him down fast," Maul told her. Ophelia was quick to respond by buckling her lightsaber, throwing the blanket aside, and following Maul down the path he had just barely traversed with the probe droid. If they were to have any hope of capturing her brother quickly, they would have to act quickly any time they knew he was only a few minutes away from their position.

** Claudius knew Maul would** bring the pursuit back to him now that the probe had returned to him. Quickly, he threw on his coat, stashed the deactivated droid in a bag he had bought, and began to flee for where he had located the greatest concentration of Force energy. The blaster and its holster were already attached to the belt on his pants so it was just merely that he had to run now. He activated the portal gun and made sure to keep himself on the right path so he could reach the concentrated energy more easily and more efficiently.

There were a couple of dead ends and these had unfortunately stalled him long enough for Ophelia and the dark figure to make visual contact with him. _Damn, now they're onto me _he thought. He ran for dear life, following the trail that his scanner picked up to the best of his ability until at last, he arrived at a point where the beeping of the scanner paused and produced an eerie sound from one beep being prolonged. _Excellent, this is the spot now let's open up a portal to the next dimension on my list _he said to himself.

That wasn't the hard part now that he had his target locked but the hardest part did come when Ophelia and Maul were almost on his toes. So he decided to create another opening for the portal, one that was farther away from him than the one he was going to. Only problem was that he had only a few minutes to do that from the other side. Luckily he had a quicker and easier solution: create another portal nearby and make the one he was going through open for so little time that they would have no choice but to use the other one.

Yes they would land in the same dimension but no, they would not be right on his tail when they went through. In fact, they would be completely thrown off for at least long enough for him to make it difficult for them to find him again. It was a plan that had no chance of failure so he ignited another portal before entering the one he was already at. _They fared well against this world of idiotic would-be warriors, let's see how they fare against insects so large that some of the largest life forms in our own dimension would be amazed _he thought.

** Ophelia and her friend** Maul arrived in time to see one portal close but another one stay. "I suspect there is a reason to that," Maul said. "No kidding: he's hoping to throw us off his trail at least for the moment," she replied quickly. Then she traveled through the portal that was available without even a second thought as to where they could wind up. Sighing, Maul admitted that he was going to have to get used to that impulsiveness if he was going to work with her then followed her through the portal with much more reluctance than he would have had before.


	7. FoP: Chapter 6

Chapter Six

In Claudius' opinion, there was no dimension more fascinating than this one that he had just arrived at. He dubbed it Lightning Heraklion for its frequent lightning storms but he knew who it belonged to: the descendants of the insects that had once lived side by side with the evolutionary ancestors of human beings. Above him, dragonflies the size of Gorogs flew overhead and spiders the size of Rancors skittered past him in their daily business of finding food. The good thing was that he was so small that he was not noticed by the spiders or dragonflies but there were other creatures that could potentially make a meal out of him if he wasn't careful.

There were gigantic centipedes that normally made prey out of the local millipedes but were willing to go for something that supplemented their diet, including a human that they had never seen before. Luckily, he knew that his blaster and the lightsabers of his pursuers would make short work of any of them were they on their guard. What was even better about that was that they were willing to leave him alone once they learned about his blasters capability to hurt them. These were clearly sentient creatures (to what extent he knew not though he could already determine it was minimal) that were not to be trifled with in their proper environments.

He moved down to a nearby inland lake and decided it would be best to settle for the night. After all, the best traveling was done in the day when the vision of the spiders and dragonflies were blurred by the lights. The sun on this Heraklion was fierce, even if the trees were approximately fifty meters around and over two hundred meters tall with hundreds of branches that seemed to nearly block the light. Thankfully, there were plenty of openings where only those willing to brave being caught by the dragonflies ventured but he suspected that being so tiny, they would be completely oblivious to him.

** Ophelia and Maul arrived** on the portal that had been left in Claudius' wake and Ophelia was quick to worry about where they were. "This is where our evolutionary ancestors were not brave enough to crawl up on land, thus leading to the complete prevention of our rise," she said. "What does it mean to you if you exist in another dimension?" Maul asked her. "These creatures are hellishly bigger than the evolutionary ancestors and more fearsome in design and appetite," she answered.

"For a Jedi, you seem to know much in the ways of science," Maul said, curious. "My father used to educate me before he died in an invasion of our homeworld," Ophelia replied cautiously. She added that she had just been a little kid and didn't know her father too well nor even had a mother as her mother had died giving birth to her. "According to the Council, Claudius brought me here for training but now, I'm starting to think they held something from me," she explained.

"Happens even to the best of us," Maul assured her. "You're not much for words compared to me, are you?" Ophelia asked. "I prefer to let my lightsaber speak for me or else I don't speak at all except to insure that I have received a command," Maul answered. He feared she was onto him but those fears were immediately quelled by what she said next.

"I knew a man like that. Though he didn't quite have your dark aura, he did have that same nature," she said. Maul sighed a mental sigh of relief and insisted aloud that they press on to find Claudius. "Should be easy considering that besides you and me, he's the only creature on this planet with two feet and boots," she said.

_If it's so easy then get started immediately _Maul thought but did not say. He followed her as she made her routes and looked for details that may hint at his presence such as footprints, torn plants, broke branches, but Maul found much more quickly that the latter two details would be impossible to go by since the millipedes and centipedes trampled them every day. When Ophelia decided she was unable to go any further in the search for her brother (for that day) Maul took over and continued the search while she rested. Using some tricks he had learned while on a few of his missions back home, Maul was able to read Claudius' movements as the scientist made bigger dents into the earth than even the spiders that were hundreds of times more massive than the three of them combined.

He led Ophelia through the trail and even taught her how to read footsteps into the soft mud. "Don't worry, evolution has already doomed us never to be here so leave all the footprints you like while we pursue him," Maul said. She smiled at that and continued to follow him until she could see the footprints of her brother. It took at least half a day (by the standard time of their dimension) but they managed to bring him into visual contact again.

"Hello sister, how are you today?" Claudius mocked. "This ends now Claudius, whether you like it or not," Ophelia said. Maul saw a trap before she did when Claudius merely smiled at them and calmly replied that she was right. "It does end but only one way if at all: my death by your hands," Claudius added with much enthusiasm.

Then he shot at a few spots that seemed random but actually were parts of a spider's territory. Angry, the arachnid arose from its den and immediately saw Maul and Ophelia in front of it. Out of instinct, it lunged for the two warriors and Claudius watched as it attacked his sister and her friend, intent on driving them off or making a meal out of the two of them. Maul turned to Ophelia and asked if she had any great ideas about how to get rid of the spider.

"Yeah one: we combine our powers and throw it into that lake to our left. If I know my bugs well enough, she'll die when we throw her in there," she said. "Good idea but there's one problem: how to lure her over there," Maul replied. "Run out to the lake then dodge her attack when starts to come at you with the stinger," Ophelia shouted.

Maul did as instructed and waited until the spider noticed him by the lake. At Ophelia's command, he used the Force to bring the spider into the air and with her aid, he pushed it into the lake. The water was deep enough to engulf the spider that soon drowned from her immersion into the water. "Good, now where is Claudius?" Maul asked her.

Claudius saw their victory and could not believe what he had seen them do. He recognized that they had seen him and at first, was too surprised to move. It was only that they were almost onto him that he managed to run for the cave that gave off the most Force energy on this planet. Behind him, Maul and Ophelia were barely keeping up and he knew he had to be quick about creating the portal to the next dimension.

He tried his best to slow them down somewhat by shooting at each of them randomly. However, each bolt of energy was deflected by their lightsabers until he was near the end of the dark cave. Quickly, he pulled out the portal gun and shot a round into the wall with the full knowledge of where this one would lead. He was just glad when he managed to get out of this dimension before getting caught by Ophelia or her dark friend.

** Breaking into a maximum-security** facility was no easy task. Nor was the planning behind breaking into this facility for that matter. "Dante, how much longer before we find what we need to help the Chancellor?" asked his companion who lagged behind. "Not much longer my friend, we just have to make sure that the Jedi don't see us," he replied.

"I thought the silent alarm had been tripped off the moment we entered. If that's the case, I wonder why the Jedi haven't attacked us yet," the companion inquired. "Maybe they're just waiting to see what we'll do while in here," he agreed. "Hey, I got dibs!" the companion cheered enthusiastically.

Quickly, he cut down the door with his lightsaber and walked through the result of his entrance. "There's the chip we're looking for," the companion said. "Good job Alec, you've done a good service in the name of freeing the Republic from the tyrannical hand of the Jedi," the first man proudly announced. "What does that do?" his companion asked.

"It gives Republic soldiers the okay to execute their Jedi commanders once plugged into the mainframe database at the Chancellor's office. If we can get out of here now, we'll have life-and-death power over those evil bastards," Dante explained. Then Alec turned his head as the alarms starting blasting off furiously. Both of them ran out just in time to see some red and purple blades activate in the distance.

"The Jedi are onto us now!" Alec shouted. "No shit, keep up with me and we'll both live to carry out the promise our ancestors from the Old Order promised to fulfill," Dante ordered. With his saberstaff in hand and Alec beside him, Dante made his way toward the exit of the Jedi Temple. However, he immediately saw the distance between him and some of the Jedi Knights closing rapidly.

"Alec, take the chip and get the hell out of here," Dante told him. "What about you?" Alec asked him. "I will cover your escape, just move it!" Dante answered. "Ah Dante, Master Inquisitor of the Ancient Ways, we meet at last," said the first figure in front of him. "Jedi Lord Cadmus, I've heard of you and your cruel methods of punishing rebels," Dante replied to the leader of the group.

"Cruel perhaps but necessary to teach punks like you that the Jedi are the way and will remain so for another thousand years at least," Cadmus replied before lunging at Dante with his lightsaber. Slowly, Dante rose up his staff, gathered his Force energy and life force into a single explosive power then tapped the cold, marble floor with the butt of his staff. Cadmus and at least twelve other Lords did not survive the blast that ensued as Dante's body diminished and his robes burned to ash. Besides the thirteen Lords, Dante also managed to kill at least another dozen Blademasters and nearly thirty Acolytes.

Alec watched it all happen from afar and vowed to his friend that his sacrifice would not be in vain. He was lucky to get out of the Jedi Temple but he wondered how long it would be before the Overlord started sending Acolytes and Blademasters in search of him. How long would he have before the Overlord would spread his Order to the farthest stars just to find him? He was the last practitioner of the Ancient Ways and right now, all he could do was reach the hideout his friend had established long ago.

**When Claudius arrived to** the next dimension, all he saw and heard was chaos. "Move out of the way people, we're looking for a practitioner of the Ancient Ways! You there, with the glasses and the coat, have you seen anyone of this description?" asked one of the warriors in the chaos who looked like a Jedi and had spotted Claudius. He was given a hologram picture of the man they were looking for and he paused, wondering how to respond.

Then he figured that perhaps giving them what they may or may not want was the best option. "No I have not seen anyone of that description, I'm new here and I was woken up by the racket down here," he lied. "He looks honest enough, let's go on to others who might be a little more useful," one of them said. When they left, Claudius had to admit he found this new dimension amusing as he had managed to extract enough information to know that here, the Jedi were wielders of the Dark Side and the Philosophers (followers of long-dead ways like the Sith of his dimension) were the wielders of the Light. _I may not be able to get out of here for a while but I actually kind of like this. Besides, when your quest is to destroy all reality, why rush _he asked himself before blending with the black night.


	8. FoP: Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

When Ophelia and Maul arrived in the new dimension Claudius had taken them to, they were confused as could be. "This looks like Coruscant, almost exactly," Ophelia exclaimed in surprise. While she was in a stupor, Maul immediately began making a silent examination of their whereabouts. _The similarities are remarkable but of course, there are differences to be noted _he told himself.

He immediately observed that the symbol on the police droids were different from what he had seen back home. However, because the Jedi never had use for such droids back home, he guessed that the Republic (or whatever this place's government was called) employed them. Plus, he also noticed that the people who looked like Jedi threatened the droids and even activated red lightsabers like the one he carried on his belt. _The Dark Side is dominant here and the Jedi are wielders of it, I may be at home here _Maul thought as Ophelia was still in her stupor.

"Maul, you are not helping us any! Actually do something useful besides just stare at everything," she said. "I've already made some useful observations, care to know them?" Maul asked. "I'm listening," she sighed.

"Firstly: take a look at the police droids, particularly the symbols on their shoulders," Maul began. Ophelia looked and seemed surprised that there was a difference between the symbol of the Republic of their dimension and the symbol presented here. "Secondly: look at the warriors wielding lightsabers, they may look like Jedi but what's one difference you can spot immediately?" Maul asked. "Their aura presents not that of Jedi we know but of users of the Dark Side, similar to yours but still different," Ophelia answered.

"Very good, now watch what happens when they ignite their lightsabers at the droids," Maul said. Ophelia did and saw red or purple blades, something that did not pass her without shocking her to her core. "Like the Sith Yoda would endlessly babble about when we were younglings," Ophelia said. _It's amazing the old stinker even remembers anything about the Sith after more than eight hundred years _Maul told himself, Ophelia's comment amusing him.

"I think we need to get our asses moving before they think we're up to something and investigate us," Maul said aloud. "Too late," Ophelia replied. Sure enough, two "Jedi" were coming up Maul's side and another was coming up from Ophelia's side of the street. The one on her end called them road hogs and asked why they were holding up the traffic.

Though Maul was not the diplomatic type, he did want to keep quiet this time but unfortunately, Ophelia blew it. "What traffic? I don't see much of anything on this section of the city," she asked. _Damn, no we are in trouble _Maul thought.

"Real smart-alack aren't you?" the one on her side asked. He added to his friends that he thought it was time for both of them to have a talk with one of the Lords in the Temple. "You seem like the type who might know the whereabouts of the missing Philosopher anyway," he said. "Excuse my friend, we barely arrived here from afar and have no idea what you're talking about," Maul said, trying to better the situation.

"Bullshit, just hand your weapons over to my boys here and we'll be underway for a safe and painless visit to the Temple," the commander ordered. "Now that's something I don't think we'll do. Besides, it isn't your choice to make and I recommend leaving us be if you value your lives," Maul warned. "Tough guy huh, well let's see how long you last when I have boys sick you," the commander replied before snapping his fingers, the signal for them to attack.

Maul ignited his double-sided lightsaber quickly and held his own relatively well, even killing the duo that tried to be his undoing. "Not bad, how's your friend?" the commander asked before igniting a blade of his own. Quickly, she sliced the hilt of his lightsaber in half and held him at blade-point. "Fine enough without assholes like you coming to look," Ophelia replied.

Before he could react, Maul immediately saw a trap as he watched the commander Force push her into a pile of crates before attempting his escape. "Not so fast, you and I have unfinished business," Maul told him. The commanding officer immediately sent a barrage of Force lightning upon him but Maul merely stood there, absorbing it into his body. "Sorry to scare you but I'm immune to Force lightning," he mocked with an evil smile.

Then he absorbed all the Force lightning in his body and reflected it back at his enemy, killing him almost instantaneously and without mercy. Ophelia was just barely returning from her state of surprise and immediately guessed that Maul had killed the remaining Jedi. "You guessed correctly for once now we just need to get out of here," he said. "Hey, you two look like you could use my help, come!" someone said to them from nowhere.

"Who are you?" Ophelia asked. "Someone who can help you get accustomed to your surroundings, I can tell you're not even from this galaxy, let alone here," the man told them. Maul followed the voice until he found a man dressed in robes that matched the holographic picture they had seen earlier. "Wait, you're the one they want; how do we know to trust you?" Ophelia asked.

Maul smacked her back and asked her in a whisper if she had any better ideas. "For someone that doesn't talk much, your friend has a point now let's go!" the man ushered. Ophelia and Maul followed until they reached a place that had all sorts of devices they had never seen and a surprisingly huge number of statues in its vicinity. When the man closed the door behind them, Maul knew they were safe although Ophelia wasn't so quick to be so sure.

"Sorry to spoil the fun for you like that but had you stayed there, the cavalry would have been called in from the Temple," the man said politely. "No apologies, just tell us who you are and what the hell is going on here," Ophelia said, blunt but direct. Maul made a slight snarl of irritation but she chose to ignore this. "It's all right friend, my name is Alec and I am part of a secret group that is publicly known as the Philosophers but has more recently begun to adopt The Avengers as its name because we're avenging the wrongs committed to common people every day," the man explained.

Maul and Ophelia were silent as he explained that for thousands of years, the Jedi and the Philosophers had been at war with each other. However, the Philosophers suffered a staggering defeat one thousand years ago that only left a single survivor who fled for her life. "Since then, anyone who has been willing to study the ways of the Philosophers has had to sacrifice everything they love for the cause. It was the only way to keep the Order and those associated with it safe from the Jedi," he continued.

Ophelia shook her head in disbelief while Maul took it to a deeper level. He doubted even Claudius knew what he had dragged them into or if the man was even alive any longer. If he was, it certainly was a miracle of chance but how long would that remain? How long did _they _have before these Jedi found them again and tried to kill them once more?

"My friend and former Master, the late Dante, took me to the Temple in the hopes that we would be able to find something to kill them. Fortunately, in spite of his sacrifice, we did indeed," Alec said. Then he extracted a chip from in his sleeve and explained its purpose. "A small chip with that much command over the armies of this world… most impressive," Maul noted.

"I just need to get it to the Chancellor and then it's over for the Overlord and his evil rule," Alec said. Then he looked away as though he were disappointed that he hadn't done that sooner. "And how come you haven't done this yet?" Ophelia asked. "Because we just barely got the chip a few hours ago; you walked into the confusion Dante's sacrifice caused," Alec answered.

"Do you have spare rooms to accommodate us at least until tomorrow morning? Forgive the interjection but there's nothing more we can do for tonight and if we hope to reach the Chancellor, we'd best be at full strength tomorrow," Maul asked. "Oh yes, I almost forgot that Dante always left a huge number of spare rooms for anyone who joins us and wishes to hide out here," Alec answered. Alec guided them to separate rooms and Ophelia unpacked what she had whilst Darth Maul simply washed his robe and cleaned the handle of his lightsaber from the insect blood during their adventures in the previous dimension.

When Alec returned, he invited them to dinner and Maul willingly accepted the offer though he himself didn't see the need for food. Ophelia recognized the cuisines he laid out as imports from her homeworld and wondered if they tasted the same as she remembered. To her surprise and eternal delight, they did. Maul savored each bite, using the Force to process each nutrient to every cell of his body, a form of bodily repair he had learned while chasing after a minor Senator that Sidious wanted eliminated on the watery planet Manaan.

Ophelia watched him and wondered where the hell he learned those tricks from, still unaware that he was an apprentice to a Sith Lord back in their dimension. Maul didn't know how long he could keep up that deception because in spite of the fact that they had few moments to talk that didn't concern the mission, he felt a strange attraction to her. It wouldn't be so bad if the feelings weren't mutual but unfortunately, they were. Alec made no comment but assumed nothing about his newly acquired guests while he ate his food and thanked Ophelia and Maul for keeping him company.

"And thanks for telling me about your dimension Ophelia, it's so incredible to think that there is something like that where the Jedi are not tyrannical terrorists but benevolent protectors of the peace," he told her. "The Republic has known a thousand years of peace, following the defeat of our Sith enemies on the planet of Ruusan. For the first few centuries, we feared the Sith would return to take their revenge but after about three hundred years after Ruusan (maybe more) we relaxed and settled into an era of peace that had already lasted a long time by then. Seeing as how the Jedi are tyrants here, I can understand why you find what I have to say difficult to comprehend," Ophelia agreed.

"But maybe you two are the key to my victory and the return of justice to this world," Alec said. _Ophelia maybe but restoring peace to a galaxy was never my destiny _Maul said to himself. "Maul, don't look so glum! His people need our help whether you like it or not," Ophelia said.

"Don't call me glum, every minute we waste here is a minute Claudius uses to get closer to Heraklion Prime and the destruction of the Force and of all reality," Maul hissed. "Claudius? Heraklion Prime? What in the name of the Great Ones is this all about?" Alec inquired, confused.

With great reluctance, Ophelia explained why they were here and explained Claudius' intent on the universe in all its dimensions. "I won't stall you anymore than I have, feel free to leave in the morning if you choose thought I truly would have appreciated your help in this," Alec said with a heavy heart. "We're staying, knowing my brother Claudius, he can't move around in this chaos anymore than we can," she assured him. "Thank you, all I need done is for someone to download the program as I am terrible at technology and someone who can lead the assault on the temple here on Coruscant," Alec replied.

"I'll handle that one. I have a hunch that my dark aura will allow me to sneak any and all troops deep enough into the Temple to launch a full-scale assault that not even the Overlord would be ready for," Maul said. "That is true, you may not be a Jedi of this dimension but your dark power would fool even the Overlord all the same. You are truly a genius considering you don't talk too much," Alec told him. "I try to let my actions speak for me more than my tongue if I can help it," Maul replied. They enthusiastically agreed to the plans of Maul attacking the temple, Ophelia downloading the chip into the main frame, and Alec confronting the Overlord.


	9. FoP: Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

"Even with a chip like that, you'll never kill all the Jedi unless you give the soldiers an ample opportunity to do so," Ophelia told Alec. "I have rebel armies stationed across every planet in the entire galaxy that the Jedi control plus a few more. Once I give the signal, galaxy-wide war will begin and knowing the Overlord, he'll want to ensure control over as many of his worlds as possible. So he'll assign one Jedi warrior to one planet and when that happens, I'll have you put the chip into the main frame thus undoing his Order," Alec explained calmly.

"And what if he's too powerful for you to face alone?" she asked him. "As much as I appreciate your offer, it won't mean anything after you're gone unless I am the one to take him down here and now," Alec answered. "Suit yourself, truthfully, I wouldn't have minded fighting him for a change from the giant insects Maul and I killed before we came here," Ophelia said. "You can help me reach the point of dueling with him if you wish but you cannot interfere with the duel itself and neither can Maul," Alec assured.

"I will do that and so will Maul from his end of the bargain. He wasn't kidding when he said he'd lead the attack on the Temple and thus far, it seems he's right considering that he hasn't sounded off any major alarms yet," Ophelia said. "The silent alarm could have been tripped but the Jedi rely more on their skills in the Force than on technology," Alec told her. "I don't know him as well as I would like but I know he's not going to underestimate their abilities in the Force; he's done less underestimating than I have and it's in my code of _honor _to not do that," she said back.

"Sometimes some people do some things better when not obligated to do so than we are when it's our obligation to do as good as them," Alec said. "Sad thing is that's been the truth for the last few days or more," Ophelia agreed. "How long have you been pursuing this Claudius figure you want?" Alec politely asked. "On our time plane, we have been pursuing him for maybe a week to a week and three days but I don't know how it is on your plane though I do feel like it's not too far off from our own," Ophelia answered.

Alec nodded and asked if he could guide her down to the Chancellor's office. "That would be a nice change from hiding in the slums of this place," she said. Alec took her hand and away they went to begin the freedom of Alec's fellow men and women. "Do I signal the rebels to attack from the main frame in the Chancellor's office as well?" Ophelia asked him.

"I did that while you and Maul slept last night. The Chancellor knew what it was and so did the Overlord since I made sure both men heard the code," Alec answered. "But why the Overlord and not just the Chancellor or even just us for that matter?" Ophelia asked. "Simple: he'll be so focused on the war that he won't notice when we have Republic troops turn on him via the code in that chip you carry," Alec answered.

"He's a guy for the direct approach and will fall into a well placed loop easy, won't he?" Ophelia asked. "Yes and for a man that's a thousand years old, that is a phenomenal show of arrogance or stupidity (or both) on his part," Alec agreed. "So Maul will be making his way to the Temple right about now if all has gone to plan and we should be hearing the war on the News really soon," Ophelia stated. Alec nodded and the two of them began to proceed towards a detour that would lead almost all the way to the Chancellor's office from the ground floor up.

** The captain Maul shared his** battalion with knew what the signal would be when Alec was ready to destroy the Jedi Order. But even so, Maul wondered if this man or a whole many others would survive past this raid on the Temple. He would love the thrill of killing Jedi at last but these were not the Jedi he was trained to fight nor was his cause the cause he had been so accustomed to hearing his master blabber endlessly. Still, he felt as if for once in his life, he could freely dispense the power of the Dark Side within himself and he wondered if that was the real purpose of the torturous training he had endured for as long as he could remember anything.

He would not kill the Overlord himself but he knew that if Alec needed his help, it would be best to step in even if the man said otherwise. It would be very assuring that he had _some _humanity to Ophelia who realized her feelings for him and his for her. _Why do I feel this way and why was I never trained to handle this_ he asked himself during the night. He knew it wasn't lust since he had never been afraid to rape a woman while on the job whenever it was lust but he was afraid to even touch this woman for fear his touch would hurt her or be loathsome to her.

He quickly put it aside with a thought he would recite to himself every time he faced fear. _Fear… fear attracts the fearful. The strong, the weak, the innocent, the corrupt. Fear… fear is my ally _he told himself before he received the signal to begin his end of operations in this altered planet.

** Ophelia and Alec had** made it into the Chancellor's office and were fortunate to have found no one there. In fact, according to Alec, the Chancellor had left a whole standard hour before to grab a bite to eat with her three children and husband. "Though she has to bend over for the Overlord's thrusting, she still has a family to tend to," Alec said. "I understand as I was once part of one myself," Ophelia replied.

She preferred not to remember that as she typed the codes Alec gave her to put into the main frame. Once she had, she was asked if she wanted to approve of the signal being sent and she let Alec do that. He was glad that she did since he not only approved it but orated a message into it as it traveled across communication lines. "For a thousand years, the Jedi Overlord has ruled through fear and hatred, making sure that everyone (even the Chancellor) knew his desire to rule the galaxy with an iron fist after he defeated the Philosophers in the last war," he began.

Ophelia watched as he continued to inspire hope into the common people. "My people, you and I are more united because of this in one way: we're tired of bowing before the Overlord, tired of watching as our elected officials bend over for him, we are tired of having to submit to his demands, and we have had enough. I have already sent this code that will kill up to eighty percent or more of his Order within a week and have challenged him to a duel in person but it is up to you to finish what me and my ancestors started a thousand years before," he continued. Ophelia smiled and gave him credit for his oration to the peoples of the galaxy they both resided in.

"My master never thought about this and even forbid that I do this but I was compelled to do it anyway because so much planning would not be in vain if I did it. So I hope Dante can forgive me for what I have done and I hope I can join him in the Netherworld of the Force should I die," he said. "I have a feeling he already has," Ophelia assured him. "The beacon and the deaths of the Jedi will be sure to call the attention of the Overlord at any moment, I want you out of here before he arrives," Alec said.

"I'm not leaving you here to almost certain death by his blade," Ophelia snapped. "If it's going to mean anything after you're gone, I have to be the one to face him," Alec replied. Deep down, she knew he was right and she needed to get back on the trail of Claudius before he had a chance to lose her and Maul entirely. "Find your brother and stop him from destroying all reality, May the Force be with you on that journey," Alec said.

"Thanks, it is something we have needed more and more as this journey has continued to unfold," Ophelia told him. Alec smiled and watched her leave the Office for the first and last time that she would be in this version of the galaxy. "So sweet those women, especially to a guy like you, slave of the Philosophers," said a new, ominous voice with a somewhat metallic tone. "It's about time you came out of that massive cave of yours to face your greatest of foes," Alec replied.

"Pretty brave for a kid who's never fought me before," the Overlord mocked enthusiastically. "Maybe I haven't but I know of ancestors of mine who did," Alec calmly told him. "Oh yeah, I remember now, there was one who looked just like you but unfortunately, he was killed too quickly," the Overlord continued. Then Alec turned and saw the face of his enemy to be surprised at how well-conditioned the Overlord was.

He was a human male with black bulbs for eyes, sharp dagger-like teeth, huge bulging muscles, and was less than a seventh of a meter taller than Alec. His robe was black with grey armor plates and a red cape running from the shoulders to the back of the knees. "Ready to die in battle as your ancestors did, a thousand years ago?" the Overlord asked. "Who knows what will happen to me or you except that one of us will leave alive and victorious and the other will be either captured or killed," Alec answered.

Alec ignited his lightsaber as did the Overlord whose blade hummed to life for the first time in possibly a thousand years, its red blade so pale red it would seem as though its lust for blood would give back its old blood-red color. "This blade _needs _your blood in order for its thirst to finally be quenched," the Overlord smiled wickedly. "And this blade needs a chance to _try _and undo your evil," Alec replied. The Overlord smiling and Alec accepting whatever fate lied before him, the two began their battle.

_**Regardless of what happens** to the Overlord, I cannot stay here any longer _Claudius thought. Off the corner of his eye, he spied Maul already resuming the search for him and decided to give the dark warrior a clue to him. No, better to deliver a message in person than to leave a pathetic clue and hope the team never found the portal to the next dimension. After all, they managed to keep on his trail this long and it was best to show his deepest respect.

And it was a good thing he chose to reveal himself to the silent killer as opposed to the loud Jedi Knight. "I will be sure to let Ophelia know of your visit and the rendezvous you wish to make to continue our little chase," Maul assured him. "Excellent and be sure to ask her to tell you why you hunt for me as you do now," Claudius told him. "What do you mean by that?" Maul asked.

"You will see when you see her reaction to that small request for knowledge," Claudius answered. And just like that, the scientist had become the pursued fugitive once more and Maul resumed his role as one of his two pursuers. His pistol and portal device were ready along with something from his past he didn't anticipate bringing. In fact, he had been very confident he had left it but then his sleeve did contain a pouch where it could have been there without him knowing the whole time.

It was a dagger from his past life as Prince and Heir to the Draco Throne on the planet Nyx. Suddenly, he remembered all of the civil war and strife that the monarchies caused through their lusts for power and domination of the planet. It was dissidence between the crowns that Claudius helped to end. Unfortunately, it was also that same dissidence that cost him his father, mother, grandparents, uncles, aunts, and many cousins.

** Maul knew it was** going to be nowhere near as difficult to relay Claudius' request as it would be for Ophelia to honestly answer it. That's what hurt him all the more about doing this but he knew he had to do it to clear up why she was here and why she sought to arrest Claudius instead of kill him. At first, she hesitated about answering that request but she knew she had to. "Sit down Maul and prepare yourself for a very long story full of pain, sorrow, loss, despair, politics, signed off in blood," Ophelia warned him And sit down for the long lecture, Maul did for the sake of respecting her struggle with the past.


	10. FoP: Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Ophelia was born the youngest of five children and Claudius was the middle child. Both were children of Coriolanus Draco of the Draconian Throne on the planet of Nyx. Their oldest brother Laertes was more fit to rule than Claudius was but Ophelia had a feeling that unless Claudius did something to aid him, that rule would not come unless their father died in war. Because at that time, their father was waging war with his own father who ruled the Erebus Throne as had a thousand generations worth of Kings before until Ophelia's father married their mother and took rule of the Draconian Throne via negotiations between their parents.

When it came time for Coriolanus to elect an heir, he refused because one of the terms was that if Coriolanus had two sons, he was to surrender the one he did not elect to rule when his father died. Coriolanus loved Claudius and Laertes equally and had faith in both of them being good kings. So when he had not made a decision when his father came to collect, he declared war upon his father. But Claudius felt unfit to become ruler so from age twelve (when the war began between his father and grandfather) to age fourteen, he conspired with Laertes to gain the trust of the Parliament and use them to reunite the planet under one rule.

As the Parliament was filled with petty lords who would like nothing more than to side with one side to oppose the lords on the other due to old feuds, Claudius found that part surprisingly easy. They assassinated the ones that came even remotely close to finding out the truth and none of the others suspected a thing since they were too busy worrying about their own sense of honor and duty. When the lords of Parliament were slowly eliminated by their own feuds (with nothing to tie them together), the Monarch Council (the second branch of government and the older of the two) took all their responsibilities.

Since the Monarch Council was a council of twelve members, Claudius and Laertes killed off the younger ones and watched the older ones die. The family then took all responsibilities and Laertes left to become Chief of Military in the Erebus Throne whilst Claudius went and became the same for their father's Throne. In secret, they traded secrets of military operations for each other that would prolong the war long enough to demoralize the commoners on both sides. Amazingly, it only took a year for the demoralization to be completed and then Claudius dispatched agents to begin revolts in local villages that would spread into the capitals of both empires.

Then Claudius made the final step towards the union by sending the coordinates for his father's very doorstep. Their grandfather attacked under the cover of the night and the defense of the Draconian Throne were barely strong enough to buy Claudius time to finish the conspiracy. Luckily, Claudius managed to activate a portal that would allow only two people to escape and his father had quickly and impulsively chosen that two of Claudius' sisters (Helena and Ophelia) would be the ones to escape. "I already lost my beloved Juliet and the daughter named after her, I will not lose these two as well," the King of the Draco family had said to him.

Determined to prevent his father from cheating him of his destiny, Claudius remembered how he had made sure to become as close to his younger sisters as he could. Taking advantage of that, he seduced Helena into coming a little too close to him after Ophelia went through the portal. He had already tricked his father into fighting his own father by saying that even with his dagger, he couldn't quite possibly handle so many soldiers. Helena came and thanked Claudius for having so much faith in her and for loving her when their father never could.

Then he betrayed and murdered her with the poison-laced dagger, powerful enough to kill her in four seconds with just one stab. Before stepping into the portal, Claudius heard his father vow that he would hunt him down and kill him. Calmly, Claudius had replied that he wouldn't be then initiated the thirty-second countdown to self-destruct of the entire palace upon his entrance into the portal. Then he stepped through and was teleported a hundred and eight standard miles away from the Palace for the rendezvous with Ophelia.

When Ophelia asked where Helena had gone, Claudius quickly made up a story that she had been shot by one of their grandfather's archers before she could enter. After he made that story up, they felt a slight wind on their skin and a rumble beneath their feet which Claudius recognized as the destruction of the Draconian Palace as well as the entire city in its immediate vicinity. As a parting shot, Claudius persuaded Laertes to dissolve the Parliament of the Erebus Throne as his first kingly order, ruling the entire planet through Monarch Council which composed of enough members to rule the planet without Parliament. With the conspiracy's goal completed and Claudius having abdicated his right to be King, Laertes bid his brother and sister farewell before they headed into the unknown.

Via a chance meeting with Odette, Claudius discovered that Ophelia was Force-sensitive and so, he relinquished his sister to her to continue to his own ambitions without her interfering. He went on to become one of the most brilliant scientists in space travel and engineering for space-to-space, space-to-ground, and ground-to-ground weaponry, inventing patents that surprised and baffled many of his competitors. But his finest field of work was when he discovered the taboo of science known as interdimensional travel, the ability to channel enough Force energy, space, and time to create a portal to another dimension whether it'd be parallel or radically different. Using his inferior abilities in weapons engineering and travel as mere pastimes, Claudius eventually managed to make time for a trip to the Outer Rim where he believed he could find the missing piece in his little puzzle.

It was a small planet of no significance where it was believed that the Sith Emperor of the Great Galactic War was believed to have died. What it turned out to be was the once glorious realm of the Sith known as Malachor V. It became painfully obvious to Claudius that the Sith Emperor had exhausted the Dark Side energies of Malachor in an attempt to hold on to his body long enough to find a fresher one to take possession of. Unfortunately, Claudius was the only other human immediately available to the immortal but ill Sith Emperor.

It was unknown as to whether or not the Sith Emperor actually managed to take possession of Claudius or if the younger man had resisted his spirit or even that he possibly dominated it. Either way, Claudius found the missing piece to his puzzle and finished the portal that he had started using for the quest to the dimension of Heraklion Prime. With the device, Claudius could hold the power to either destroy all reality or else rule it as its omnipotent and godly dictator. And all of this was the reason that Ophelia and Maul were presently on their mission to hunt him down before he could have a chance to reach Heraklion Prime and complete his plans for the universe.

**Maul listened intently as Ophelia** finished her story and knew it was hard for her to have revealed all this to him. It made him feel bad that he even brought up Claudius' request to have her tell him. "I'm sorry about your family and for the sake of the universe, I hope the Sith Emperor didn't succeed in possessing Claudius," Maul said. Then he added that if the Emperor did, they were in for a lot more trouble than they had ever been before.

**The first trouble of that day** was when Claudius noticed his glasses were no longer working properly. He knew he maintained them regularly and knew that they were clean this time. Sensing something wrong with them (or else he needed a new prescription) he took them off and was shocked to see what the change really was. His eyesight had improved drastically, beyond the need for glasses but he couldn't believe this astounding regression from what he had been told about being likely to go blind before he was even forty.

Not only that but he also felt something else, something he had never felt in his entire life. He felt more powerful than he could have possibly imagined and even decided to see if it was the Force at work. Sure enough, was able to lift objects with the Force and he looked at himself with shock and even a profound worry. _Do not be alarmed Claudius Draco, I am the Sith Emperor and I am making improvements to this shell of a man; hold still while I fix your slight limp _a voice in his head commanded.

After the Emperor gave his signal that Claudius could move, he not only moved. He also ran faster than any normal human ever could or even most of the other creatures back home could. Smiling, Claudius tested his new power on expendable items in the Jedi Temple of this altered version of Heraklion he presently resided in. Making his way to the most powerful vestige of the Force on the planet, he enjoyed every ounce of Force energy he used to clear any would-be warriors of the Overlord out of his way with ease.

It all came to an end when Ophelia and Maul soon caught up with the scientist. "Claudius, stop this now!" Ophelia demanded. "I will never stop, not now when I am-" Claudius began before the Emperor took over. Painfully, Claudius watched as the Sith Emperor's formed a faced on his chest and stomach, his eyes becoming visible as well as a nose and mouth. What hurt even more was when the Emperor started to talk through this manifestation of his majestic power.

"I had hoped to remain hidden in this shell until I could arrive to Heraklion Prime but you left me no choice," he said. Maul was slightly disgusted and even showed it in a snarl but Ophelia was so surprised to see it she nearly fainted. "Hello Ophelia, we meet at last and I presume the man with you is the one called Maul," the Sith Emperor said, introducing himself as Darth Vitiate. "Sorry to interrupt the thing from another time but I have to take down my brother and bring him in now," Ophelia said.

Maul agreed and helped her attack Vitiate and Claudius with a lightsaber in each of their skilled hands. "I'm afraid you cannot be allowed to interfere with our journey to Heraklion Prime," Vitiate said. Then he raised Claudius' arm in the gesture of a Force Push which was powerful enough to send Maul and Ophelia flying several yards. Claudius then used his magnified strength to open the elevator door that would lead them down to the heart of the Temple.

Maul was the first to recover and helped Ophelia to her feet before continuing the pursuit. "I didn't think that was possible but I would imagine that Darth Vitiate had been subtly manipulating Claudius' actions ever since they met on Malachor V. That would explain why Claudius even came up with the ability to judge what dimension to travel to next based on the amount of Force energy in one dimension," Ophelia said to Maul. "Manipulation is a very powerful tool if used right and I believe the Sith Emperor has been using it well for the last few thousand years if not more," Maul replied.

**"So is this the place** where I activate a portal?" Claudius asked his new guest. "Yes, go ahead and do so," the Sith Lord responded. Claudius shot into the wall and the portal opened to the next version of planet Heraklion. On the other side, he was initially spooked by what he saw but the Dark Lord calmed him.

"We're on the Heraklion you named Dark Heraklion where the human race mutates into nocturnal flesh eaters. Your new vision that I give you will be keen enough to help you find a path for us both," Vitiate said. "Should I leave the portal open a little longer?" Claudius asked him. "If you insist on playing this pathetic game of Cat and Mouse, be my guest and do so," answered his new friend.

Claudius did precisely that for although the Sith Emperor would never understand why he played this game, that didn't matter. What did matter was getting to Heraklion Prime so that he could destroy it as was originally planned. In no way would Darth Vitiate change that even for their mutual benefit. Smiling, he walked along the trail that his new vision distinguished for him.


	11. FoP: Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

When Ophelia and Maul went through the portal to the next dimension, they couldn't believe the surprise they stumbled into. They had hardly taken fourteen steps before something that looked like a naked human attacked them. It scratched at them but Maul was quick to sever both of its hands and stab it in the abdomen with one side of his lightsaber. Ophelia was initially upset that Maul had gone to such drastic measures but he reminded her of how it tried to kill them both.

"Probably protecting its territory, looking for food, or else competing for a mate and now we'll never know because of your blunt answer to its ravings," Ophelia said. "A direct course of action was necessary because not only do we not know why it attacked us but we also don't know what would have happened if we let him scratch us or bite us," Maul replied. Ophelia gave up after that and they continued on their way in this strange, new world but not before she examined the body.

It appeared to be human but there were major differences with claws instead of fingernails and toenails being just a couple. Ophelia also noticed nasty, brown or rotten, sharp teeth and a rather massive erection for a human male. Its skin was so pale that Ophelia guessed that it had not seen sunlight in its entire life, therefore lacking or even needing melanin. She also looked overhead and saw storm clouds so dark that she wandered if the sun ever pierced through them or if there even was one.

"If there's no sunlight, I have some glowsticks we can use to light our way," Maul told her. "Hand me one please," Ophelia replied. He did and she used it to see if there were any other differences that Maul hadn't added onto this new creature. She took a good look at its eyes and noticed that there was almost no color in them saved the pupils which were crystal light-blue and the normal black irises.

But then, the irises were neither the normal size nor even the normal color. It was a paler black than was normal of either herself or Maul for that matter. She was certain now that this creature had never seen sunshine in its life. "I'm guessing that the darkness of this planet must have been going on for a longer time than just the normal few hours we're used to," Maul said.

"Judging by the differences in the body from the normal human male, these creatures have not seen the light of day for many years. It could possibly have even been a century or so since the last beam of sunlight shone on this place," Ophelia agreed. "So sunlight would be no benefit to them now?" Maul asked her. "It could cause them intense pain or death to bring sunlight back," she answered.

"For a Jedi Knight, you are very scientific in your approach to new things," Maul said. "As you know from my storytelling, I grew up around a brother with scientific ambitions for the galaxy. Odette kept me separate from him so that I could concentrate on the philosophies and disciplines of the Jedi Order," Ophelia replied. Maul smiled and began walking on the trail they had landed in with Ophelia soon following after him.

** "We should rest at** a cave if possible," Claudius said. "We keep going until we reach the gate to the next dimension that we will enter. Besides, your pursuers are not as far away as you may think. Turn around and see for yourself where they presently are," the Sith Emperor commanded.

To his surprise, Claudius saw that Ophelia and Maul were just two miles from his last point of entry and would be picking up his trail soon enough. "Tell me something Emperor, when you launched your first efforts to invade my galaxy, who were the two men you trusted to that effort?" Claudius asked. "Their names were Darth Revan and Darth Malak, they never contacted me again after I dispatched them on that mission, why do you ask this question?" Vitiate answered. "Oh nothing, except for the fact that Revan and Malak proved strong enough to resist you to the point of blacking out their memory of you and assuring themselves that they were invading the Republic for their gains," Claudius explained.

"They betrayed me yet attempted to carry out my plans regardless? A very interesting paradox, Claudius," Vitiate said. "And now that your Empire has been dead for thousands of years, you only enduring on the remaining powers of Malachor, what do you plan to do with me and the rest of the universe?" Claudius inquired of his guest. "Easy enough: when we arrive at Heraklion Prime, I will call upon the core's powers to merge us into one body then kill your pursuers along with the rest of reality. Since the Force can endure beyond physical limits, I will merge us with it and we will become eternity," the Sith Emperor explained.

Claudius laughed and Vitiate asked how he found that complex plan amusing. "Let's say we succeed and you merge yourself with the Force itself and then?" Claudius asked. "I will obtain all knowledge of both Light and Dark Sides and all the power of the Force, my purpose will be fulfilled," the Sith Lord explained. "If you have all knowledge and power, you're what we normal people call a god," Claudius said.

"My purpose will be complete and the universe will at last be mine," Vitiate snarled. "I can show you a purpose beyond that if you allow me to do that," Claudius offered. "Your significantly shorter life and lesser experience than myself could not possibly offer me anything beneficial," Vitiate answered. "Since we've become so accustomed to each other, I'll let that slide but I'm willing to offer you something that you always lacked even when you launched your invasion and managed to plan it," Claudius said.

"Which is?" the Sith Emperor asked. "Imagination as is shown by your plans' lack of flexibility. Not to mention how easily the Jedi brought it down once they were on their feet," Claudius answered. "What can you do to improve that weakness for me?" Vitiate asked.

**Ophelia recognized Claudius' footprints** as soon as the glowstick's light went over the boot prints he left. "Maul, I see the footprints now!" she said. "Excellent, which direction are they headed?" he asked. "Around this curve here, I don't know anymore than that," she answered.

Once they saw where the trail went, they became confident they would soon be finding Claudius. Maul even said he saw something that looked a little more like a normal human than one of the mutants. "How can you tell?" Ophelia asked. "Whoever it is happens to be walking erect as supposed to the arched back of that mutant we saw earlier," Maul answered.

Ophelia suddenly remembered that she had packed a pair of macrobinoculars before she left the temple and pulled them out to confirm Maul's report. "That's him all right," she said when she saw the familiar shape of Claudius. Suddenly, she noticed something strange and investigated further. "But that's not all I see," she added.

"The Emperor?" Maul inquired. She nodded after seeing a massive face sticking out of her brother's chest and abdomen. "Yeah, it's him," she answered with disappointment. Maul looked at the skies and saw lightning for the first time on this mission.

"Let's find a nearby cave where none of those things are sleeping until we know whether or not it's safe to travel during a storm. It's what our little forecast appears to be," Maul said. Ophelia nodded in agreement and searched for one with her macrobinoculars from their perch. It didn't take her long to spot one nor did it take long to recognize that Claudius had ventured into that cave.

"I spotted a cave Claudius just entered with the Emperor. If we hurry, we can end this now," Ophelia said. She and Maul then stepped up the pace and ran as fast as they could to reach Claudius. "I knew he would have to rest at some time," Maul said.

"How did you know?" Ophelia asked. "Claudius requires a great deal of mental and physical energy to be able to sustain Lord Vitiate's residence in his body. He can't keep up such a performance as would satisfy a powerful spirit like that unless he slept heavily or meditated for a couple hours. Either way, he's ours if we hurry to his location," Maul answered.

_**Damn you Claudius, they're** on our trail once more _Darth Vitiate cursed to his acolyte. _You switch me places then you'll understand what it's like to possess you in my body for extended periods of time unless you'd rather I crash and you become a bodiless soul cursed to live forever between life and death. It doesn't matter to me one way or the other _Claudius replied.

_Perhaps I should retreat back into your mind and remain invisible again. Would that help you move it a little more rapidly? _Vitiate asked. _Yes, as a matter of fact, that would _Claudius answered. Lord Vitiate did as requested and retreated back to the dark recesses of Claudius' mind and growled under his breath that if Claudius didn't get his rest and hurry again, he would destroy him and take possession of a more physically fit body like perhaps Maul's.

_One problem: if you do that, you will never reach the core of Heraklion Prime and be forced to content with the best our galaxy has to offer you instead _Claudius said to him. Darth Vitiate was not heard from after that and Claudius thought that perhaps it was for the better. After all, he needed his sleep and how could he get that with Vitiate speaking to his mind? It would make him even less prepared for Maul and Ophelia who were rapidly catching up with him.

** Maul ignited his lightsaber** long before they arrived and pushed Ophelia out of the path. She was about to ask why he did that when she saw him cut down another of the mutated creatures. He sliced in half with one clean stroke and in return for saving her life, she managed to save his from yet another mutant. "We must be intruding upon important territory, they wouldn't be so bold if we weren't," Ophelia said to her companion.

"It's either that or else a potential mating ground for these monsters," he replied. "I think I see a possible female, you're probably right," she agreed. Unfortunately, she noticed (too late) that Claudius had suddenly walked out of the cave and detected them below. He ran away from the cave and continued to follow the trail that the portal gun's scanners led him on.

_**If you let me, I can lead** the way and you will not have to rely on that tracking device's scanner. You can use it solely for creating a portal into the next dimension we need to go through _Vitiate said. "Now why you didn't mention that earlier is beyond me," Claudius replied. _You never gave me time to inform you before you used my powers to fight our pursuers off our backs _Vitiate complained.

"If that's the case, I think I need to be listening to you more often, don't I?" Claudius rhetorically asked. _The sooner we lose them, the better off we will both be _Vitiate said, ignoring Claudius's rhetorical comment. Claudius looked at his portal gun scanner one last time and noticed that if he wanted to find the next point of departure, he would have to go back into that cave or find another entry into the same passage. He opted to find a way around the current trail, leading back to the cave without running into Maul and Ophelia if he could.

It was a lot better than just turning tails while they were right behind him with only a few dozen mutants between them. And it was much better than fighting his way through them too.


	12. FoP: Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

"Maul, stop, they're backing off!" Ophelia shouted. Maul stopped in the middle of a stroke that would have decapitated another of the mutants and noticed that she was right. "Guess they know better than to mess with us now," Maul said. "Or else the females have lost interest, moved elsewhere, and they need to haul ass before they lose a chance to mate for this year," Ophelia agreed.

"Regardless, let's take shelter in that cave for the night. After all, we don't yet know if the storms here can harm us or not," Maul said. Ophelia nodded and made sure there were no more mutants before she gave the all-clear signal to Maul. Maul entered and instantly saw beautiful blue lights emerging from crystals all around the cave walls.

"It's amazing, isn't it? They all look like they've got enough light in here to keep those mutants at bay assuming they fear light," Ophelia said. "Maybe that's why they keep away from these caverns but how do we know we can even remove one from the walls, let alone use it to light our way?" Maul asked. "That's what I'm going to try and find out, hand me that bag please," Ophelia answered, pointing to a handbag next to her flank.

Maul pushed it into her hand with the Force and he was surprised to see her pry out some tools. "You came prepared for this, did you not?" he asked. "Yes, I'm a lady of science plus the Council will want me to bring back proof of my adventures if we survive," she answered. Maul smiled and took a seat on a boulder near the entrance to the cave while she tested her tools on an ideal sample.

He listened as she spoke to herself aloud about the crystal and extracting it from the hard rocks. "Hmm, they're not that strong; almost like cutting off plants," Ophelia said to herself. He chuckled as she continued to talk about what seemed to be the properties of the strange crystals. Then he heard her call him over to her and he went to her to see what she had managed to do with the bright crystals.

"Look at that, it dims then shines brightly every now and then. I'm guessing that when I cut it off, I cut it a supply line of power from the other crystals. That and perhaps it may be rerouting its veins to keep resupplying it with lots of power," Ophelia said. Maul was lost but it didn't matter, he was interested in some of the things Ophelia spoke of since he had never learned much about science back at home.

**_Claudius, may I be allowed_**_ to come out of your mind? _Vitiate asked. "It hurts like hell but if you must, then be my guest," Claudius answered. Vitiate recreated his face across Claudius' chest and abdomen, scanning the environment around them and expressing Claudius' disappointment at his choice of dimensions to flee to. "Let me set something straight to you: if you want to use the Force to traverse dimensions, you have to be content with some eerie places," Claudius snarled.

"When we arrive to Heraklion Prime, it'd better be nowhere near as dismal as this dimension," Vitiate said. "Can't guarantee first-class accommodations but I assure you Heraklion Prime is nowhere near as ugly as this place," Claudius replied. "And how would you know?" asked the Emperor. "I've seen it and I have studied its properties to confirm its place in the dimensions of the universe," Claudius explained to his compatriot.

"Very well, if you insist on this being the truth of it," Vitiate said. "Oh but it is, I have even obtained samples from Heraklion Prime that were left back at my lab in the Heraklion we knew. You would have loved to see it and feel the Force flowing through just the soil samples I collected from that place," Claudius said. "Perhaps when we reach it, I will know its power," Vitiate said.

**"This is perfect!"** Ophelia said. "For what?" Maul asked. "Do you not know? It's perfect for us," Ophelia answered.

"I don't know what you mean," Maul said, honestly beginning to fret with fear. "Maul, I have something to confess to you," she said. "Go ahead," he replied.

"If you don't mind me saying so… I think I've… fallen in love with you. I know the Jedi are forbidden from such attachments and now, I think I see why. Because of this pain in my chest, this pain in my heart that I've never known not even with my family," Ophelia explained. "I've never known love, I've only known lust for a woman but lust can only go so far," Maul replied.

"Did it ever give you a burn in your heart that drove you madder and madder as it burned stronger and stronger?" Ophelia said. Maul paused, thinking about how best to answer that question. Then he answered her with honesty: "Actually, my heart was never even stirred once during all of those lusts as I was just using them to get at the people I've killed." Ophelia looked disappointed but then she extended a hand to his cheek and said that she was amazed at his inability to feel emotion.

"I have more of a heart than even I thought I did. However, it was necessary I'd suppress it or else my master would make me endure enough physical, mental, and/or emotional pain to kill you and Claudius," Maul replied. "How could you survive so much cruelty, pain, and hatred?" Ophelia asked. "I'm genetically adapted for it as a result of being an Iridonian Zabrak and one of the descendants of Sith Lords who developed a way of surviving (but not without feeling it) greater pains than a human could possibly take," Maul answered.

"You have one fucked up Master if you don't mind me saying that to you. I mean, why would someone do that to a man as handsome as yourself?" she asked him. "I have a secret to confess to you but you must swear _absolute _secrecy before I can trust you with this confession," he answered. She gave her most solemn oath in the name of the Draconian Throne that she would not betray his secret.

"I am an apprentice to a Sith Lord by the name of Darth Sidious and I have been his slave for as long as I can remember which is since I was a child," Maul admitted. "That must be very harsh on your ability to care, on your ability to live like a man," Ophelia said, in a sympathetic tone. "Sometimes, it drives me utterly mad but other times, it's my only salvation from pain of a deep kind," Maul replied. "You are so gloomy, shut up and kiss me you fool," Ophelia ordered before uniting her lips with his.

Maul had never known a finer kiss in his life than such that Ophelia chose to grant him on this dark night. "Have you had your way with a woman before?" Ophelia asked him. "Mostly against their will unless I seduced them with my charm, why?" he answered. "I want you to have your way with me, if you know my meaning," she explained.

"I… I can't… I just can't," Maul said. "Why not? I love you and I would not have offered myself to you if I didn't love you," she told him. "Maybe you do but how could you love a hideous beast that enjoys murder like me?" he asked.

"You only _appear _that way Maul because that's what you choose to make of who you are though it is not who you truly are," she answered, like a soothing mother to her child. She even placed a hand on his cheek as if to emphasize her point. "I've never even fallen in love once, how can I possibly know how to love you?" he asked. "Until I met you, I never fell in love either but now that you're here, I can't seem to resist you in spite of my Code," she answered.

"Would you love me even if I told you I was the one who killed Odette on the night before this mission began?" he asked her. Ophelia's eyes and face went pale with shock and she said nothing to him. "I will say she did not go down easily, she was a worthy adversary and had I known you would feel this way for me I would have let her live," he assured her. "I vowed I would find the one who would kill my master… and I never knew or suspected that I was working with him," she thought aloud with a heavy, sad heart.

"It's why I didn't want to admit my feelings, let alone hear you developed similar feelings for me. And it's why I kept to myself for much of the journey," he admitted. Suddenly, he saw something he never thought he'd see: a tear dropped from her eye followed by another. He moved to wipe it away from her but she slapped his hand away from her, saying she'd kill him if he tried anything like that in the near future.

"I'm sorry," he said before exiting the cave to find some mutants to take out his guilt, anger, and shame upon. It was better than waiting for Ophelia to act upon her vow to take revenge against him. Hell, it was certainly better than looking at another dead Jedi as he had done with Odette just days before. He couldn't believe how he had just used a deed he had done to shun away probably the only chance at goodness he would ever receive before Sidious would wipe away all good and replace it with cruelty and the will only to murder.

**Claudius was a few miles** away from the point of entry into the next dimension when he sensed a great pain in his heart that wasn't his own pain. He realized that being attuned to the Force and connected to Ophelia by blood made him feel what she felt and in this case, that feeling was sadness. _It should be momentary, once you're accustomed to having the Force you will not feel this quite as severely as you do right now _Darth Vitiate told him. "That doesn't help me much right now and you should know that," Claudius replied.

Then he added that he wanted to turn back and help her. _You cannot do that now that she is your enemy. Even if she is your sister, you cannot afford to be distracted from our mission to rule the universe as one being, invincible and unaffected by petty emotions _Vitiate snapped. "I have your powers and as long as you're trapped within me, we're doing as _I _command, understood?" Claudius snarled.

_Very well, be it so but perhaps I can reach to a compromise which is something I have done with no other _Vitiate said. "Name it," Claudius ordered. _I can conjure a vision of you or someone else in the family with a deeper connection to her so that she may feel better about whatever has happened tonight_ Vitiate explained. "The only one who was closer to her than me before the end of the Draconian Throne was our father, could you conjure a vision of him for her to rely on?" Claudius asked.

_I don't know why you go to all the trouble even if she is your sister but very well. For you and you only, I shall do this. But first, you have to let me into your mind so I can conjure an accurate vision of what he looked like _Vitiate answered. "Very well, I'll let you do that but be swift. I don't want you in my mind for too long and I have the willpower to push you away if it comes to that," Claudius said.

**Ophelia sat there and cried,** who could blame her since she had to find out that she fell in love with the man who killed the closest thing to a mother she ever had in her life? She couldn't believe she had even collaborated with him, let alone offered herself to him. _What was I thinking? No wonder the Jedi Order forbids such attachments as our own _Ophelia thought.

"The Jedi forbid such attachments because they are afraid that the mistakes of such a relationship will ruin their sense of perfection," said a familiar voice. Ophelia turned in its direction and to her surprise, saw her father walking toward her from a door in the wall that was made purely of bright light. "But he killed Odette, the only woman I could ever have called a mother since you and my real one perished inside the Draconian Palace when I was a girl," Ophelia said, tears making words difficult. "Hush child, you must not blame him for what he didn't know would happen when he killed your Jedi mentor," said the apparition of her father.

"But I promised myself that I would find her murderer and bring him to justice as well, don't you understand that dad?" she asked. "Yes I do, for once, I had sought revenge against your deceased uncle for slashing me across my left temple. Which was the scar you grew up with when you were with me if I recall correctly," he answered calmly. "But didn't you take revenge?" she inquired, still feeling down.

"No, I banished him but that was not out of revenge. He killed our mother when he tried to assassinate our father and since I was ruling at that time, I knew it would do her justice to banish him," Coriolanus answered. "So are you saying I should… forgive Maul for what he did to Odette?" Ophelia asked, surprised her own father would recommend such a weak course of action. "A lust for revenge against him now would destroy you and make you no better than the Sith Emperor that possesses your brother now, work with him and perhaps you may have a chance to do justice for others instead of revenge for yourself," Coriolanus answered.

"Well, I would be serving the Jedi Code in that fashion but how do I know I'll have that chance?" she begged. "You will know when the time comes for you to do it," he answered. He extended a hand and wiped her tears from her eyes, smiling with that paternal smile that always healed her broken heart as he did so. "I have to go now, I'm merely an apparition that can stay for so long in the land of the living before I return to the realm of the dead," Coriolanus added.

"Wait, don't leave me! Tell me how you got here in the first place," she begged. "The realm of the dead encompasses all dimensions and sees everything the living do," he answered. "Is a man by the name of Alec from a dimension where the Jedi are evil in there?" she asked. "I do not know but we would have welcomed one with such a name and origin had he been killed or passed away of old age," he explained.

Ophelia smiled and thank her father because it told her that Alec was alive, especially when he added that someone called the Jedi Overlord had recently arrived to the land of those who died. He went through the portal of light which then closed and produced a blank stone wall in the dark caves. Thinking about her father's advice, she decided to call Darth Maul back to her but she knew the only way to do it was to use her sonic scream with some Force power for greater distance. It had destructive power but it could be also used to communicate messages across vast distances if it proved to be a necessity as it did right now; she stepped out to the entrance, took a deep breath, and released the awesome power within him.

It was a scream that sounded less like a scream and more of a song. A song that carried in the sonic spectrum across the dark recesses of Lightning Heraklion's mountains. She knew it wouldn't be long before he detected it and after she finished, she decided to sit and wait.


	13. FoP: Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

_Are you happy now that your sister is feeling better about herself? _Vitiate asked. "Yes Sith Lord, I am happy now that I know she's happy once more. Even if this is indeed a most unhappy environment to be in," Claudius answered. _I should've picked an emotionally harder host instead, _you _come to Malachor and I have no choice but subtly manipulate your actions even now _Vitiate hissed.

"When we're over in the next dimension, you can hope to solve that problem with the technology they may have," Claudius replied. _What dimension are we going to next if you don't mind me asking that? _Vitiate asked. "A dimension where the first Sith Lords never even discovered the Dark Side thus the galaxy has known peace since the birth of the Jedi Order," Claudius answered. He added that to him, it was a virtual paradise with every bit of beauty that a man could hope to find in a single lifetime.

_With your sister and her friend following us, we may have to ruin some of that beauty to escape them _Vitiate stated. "Sad as it is, you're right but let's try and avoid that shall we?" Claudius asked. _Agreed _Vitiate replied sarcastically. Then he asked if they were near the point of entry into that beautiful dimension Claudius spoke of.

"It won't be very far now, just need to conquer a few more mountains before we finally reach it if this scanner still works," Claudius said, looking at his screen with a small frown. _It will not matter if that thing doesn't work, I can pick up the rest of the trail now that you've conquered the bulk of it. In fact, I want you to forget that scanner entirely and let me lead the way _Vitiate said. "Very well, I'll just simply throw it away now and the Jedi can use it if they wish," Claudius replied with enthusiasm.

**Maul heard the sonic** wave long before he felt the Force energy added into it. But it didn't take him much time to deduce that Ophelia was the original emitter of that scream. _I'm probably going to get a solid slap to my face at the very least for what I did to her _he told himself. He finished killing three more male mutants before he decided to head back, his steam fully blown off of him.

He thought about what he should do in case Ophelia was still mad at him for Odette's death. Would he have to fight or worse, would he have to kill her after coming so far with her? Could that be a likely outcome and while they fought, Claudius would escape into the next dimension and then to Heraklion Prime itself? Getting back to the cave was the easy part, accepting that what may happen wouldn't be pretty was the difficult part for him to accept.

With a heavy sigh, he stepped back into the cave whether to face her wrath or be forgiven by her amnesty. She saw him standing where he was at the entry and she asked if he had anything to say for himself about what he confessed to her on this night. He shook his head then added, "If you're going to kill me, I deserve it; just get it over with." She hesitated but continued on with the strength of a true Master of the Jedi ways.

"I'm not going to kill you, in fact, I'm going to overlook what you did entirely. Because if we start fighting now, Claudius will use every second of it to get closer and closer to Heraklion Prime and his goals for reality," Ophelia explained. But she added that she'd do it after she did something to make sure he understood that it had hurt her terribly. And before he could ask what that was, she punched him across his left cheek and barely avoided knocking a couple teeth out of his mouth.

"For an Iridonian Zabrak, you take pain quite well," she told him. "And for a human, you punch pretty hard," he replied. She smiled and went to sit down on the mattress she set up and meditate on a future course of action against Claudius and Darth Vitiate. Maul had already gotten a clue but decided not to tell her just yet.

"You know, in meditation, I can read your mind. You've got some information I need about the whereabouts of my brother and his friend," Ophelia said not too long after. "You're right, I do have a clue on those two: I discovered some tracks while letting off steam for our argument earlier. I can take you straight to them via photographic memory I possess," Maul replied.

**"Your majesty?"** Claudius teased. _We have reached the point of entry that will take us to the next dimension. Look to your left and shoot into the wall if you want to enter _Vitiate replied. Claudius did as instructed and as promised, the portal into the dimension where no Sith ever existed opened to him.

He stepped through and was immediately blown away by the beauty of the city that came up after he walked out of the alley he landed in. "Look Vitiate, look what the Sith have hindered back on our own dimension," Claudius said. _If you say one more offensive word against the Sith, I will be sure to drop you first chance I manage to obtain here _Vitiate hissed. "Yeah right," Claudius replied.

**Maul and Ophelia** were surprisingly near Claudius' position because the portal had yet to be deactivated when they came to its point of origin. "What do you know? We were fast enough to where Claudius kindly left his door open," Maul teased with a smile. Ophelia smiled back and went through first just in case Claudius happened to be right there.

Both were baffled by the city they came to when they stepped through the portal to what Claudius dubbed Heraklion Serenity for its serene and quiet environment. "Look Maul, isn't it beautiful?" Ophelia asked. "Almost as beautiful as you but you know, I really have to wonder why our home couldn't be like this," Maul answered. Ophelia and Maul walked about and saw nothing that even remotely related to either the Heraklion of their dimension or even Coruscant.

"Hello young ones, can I help you with anything at all?" asked an elderly woman before hesitating at Maul's appearance. "Yes, as a matter of fact, there is something you can help us with. Can you tell us if you saw a man with my kind of red hair and about the height of my friend if not a little taller?" Ophelia asked her. "If you mean Lord Claudius Draco, then yes I have," the woman answered calmly.

_Lord? Wait a minute, the plane of time is different with each entry into the portal. Claudius could very easily have been here months before we even arrived if not years when back home, it would have been mere days _Maul thought. "And Claudius put a reward on anyone who found two people with descriptions, identical to yours," the woman said as if to confirm his very thoughts.

"Ophelia, we have to leave now. Thank you ma'am for your time, we'll be on our way now," Maul said. But it was too late, the woman sounded the alarm by screaming bloody murder to a nearby Jedi Knight who apparently acted as an officer of law enforcement as well. "Halt, in the name of Lord Claudius Draco!" he shouted. "Get back, I've been trained my whole life to kill Jedi and you don't want to know what it's like," Maul warned to Ophelia.

Ophelia did as instructed and let Maul take over from that point. "You really think you can get away with your crimes against the good Lord?" the Jedi Knight asked. "Oh so you think you know Claudius and you know us as well?" Maul replied with a snarl. "We know about how you plan to assassinate Claudius and take his technology for yourselves, you evil bastard!" the Knight said to him.

"You think you can fight against the power of the Dark Side of the Force when all your life has been mainly fighting pirates and feeble punks with blasters that couldn't last two seconds against the skills of your Order's ways? You're more pathetic than the Jedi I've killed back home," Maul replied, insulting and degrading him but not mocking him. The Jedi raised his blade over his head but Maul quickly exploited the lethargy in that stroke by lunging with one end of his own lightsaber and stabbing the Jedi in the abdomen. It was quicker than Ophelia or anyone could react but Maul enjoyed every second of this Jedi's end just as much as he had enjoyed Odette's demise before he fell in love with Ophelia during the mission.

**Claudius was enjoying** a glass of wine when he heard the unfortunate news. Ophelia and Maul had arrived and just when he was beginning to enjoy his time in this serene paradise he had never known back where he came from. But that wasn't all: he had received the report of Maul killing a Jedi Knight in the streets with only cold blood in him. "Claudius, something troubling you?" asked Heather, the woman he had grown accustomed to seeing.

"Yes my sweet, the people hunting me down are here and they've come for my head with as much determination as ever. I'm afraid I may have to leave you soon and I don't know if I'm ever coming back," Claudius answered. Heather began to cry, for she had grown to love him and he held her as she wept. _Stop this pathetic display of weakness and prepare for their arrival to the Palace _Vitiate rudely interlude in his mind.

_I have been here long enough to come to love her and mark my words, I will kill us both if you say one more word against my wishes for this or any other dimension. Am I understood? _Claudius replied. Vitiate said no more and for that, Claudius was grateful because at that moment, a messenger came and told him that Maul and Ophelia were walking in the direction of his Palace. "Assemble all the Jedi you can immediately assemble and someone take Heather out of here before any fighting begins tonight," Claudius ordered, adding he didn't want her to get hurt.

"I'm more worried about you love than you could be for me. I want to know that you're coming back but I guess I shouldn't hope for that," she said, her heart weighed down by what was going to happen. Claudius couldn't help but feel pity for her and sadness they couldn't be together in spite of his growing madness. He had to continue to Heraklion Prime, Darth Vitiate was right about that much but he had to eliminate Maul and Ophelia or at least distract them long enough to make a neat escape.

The Jedi Masters immediately with him notified that their Council had chosen to send in the full strength of the Order immediately on the planet for this occasion. "How many are we accounting for?" Claudius asked. "Somewhere between two to three thousand able bodies," answered the Master that informed him. "Good, I want double shifts for every one of them until those two have been spotted and taken either dead or alive," Claudius declared.

**"I think that's the Palace** we're looking at unless it's just some massive factory meant to produce goodies for children on this planet," Maul said to Ophelia. Ophelia looked and saw that the place was sprawling with Jedi Knights. "We'll never get in there without being detected, Claudius anticipated our arrival almost like he foresaw it before we arrived," she said. "He probably did thanks to Darth Vitiate being in his head and giving him the power of the Force to use practically as he wants to," Maul replied.

"What should we do about them?" she asked. "I'll lure them out and you get ready to use your scream on them," Maul answered. Ophelia was surprised that he would ask that of her and even tried to reason with him out of it. "What else do you have in mind, hack and slash our way through their numerous ranks?" Maul asked.

Ophelia shrugged and asked how much energy she would need to use for the initial assault. Maul told her at least enough to kill them with little to know effect on her physical body. "Okay but I want you out of the way the moment I inhale and start saving up power," Ophelia said. Maul walked down to the Palace after that and called the attention of the Jedi towards him by yelling at them.

Ophelia noticed a Jedi Captain had spotted him and was barking orders at nearby Knights. Soon, more than twelve hundred began to descend from the Palace and toward them. Maul ran at that moment, smiling as he did so since he would finally see the power of Ophelia's sonic scream amplified by the energy of the Force within her. Ophelia readied herself, remembering a posture of control that Odette had taught her early on in her training.

Extending her arms out completely and making sure her palms faced the enemy before stretching her arms apart as if to create a loud speaker with her arms then yelling at Maul to tell her when to begin accumulating power. She also gave him a little side warning that even if he was safe from the deadly sonic rays, it would be best for him to cover his ears just in case the sheer volume would be enough to pop his eardrums. He yelled for her to begin and jumped out of the way, using the Force to land behind her and cover his ears before turning around and watching her use her power upon the enemy Jedi. As quickly as she could, she begin to inhale all the oxygen into her lungs and diaphragms, readying her vocal cords to deliver the sonic rays and amplifying them with her Force power before exhaling right then and unleashing the scream of a goddess.

The scream didn't just kill, it tore off clothes, skin, and stone, the wave creating a deep skid in the ground that also saw to the end of the Jedi. They were little more than blood-stained bones by the time the wave passed over them. And Ophelia was almost completely exhausted when she finished but Maul saved her from hitting her head on the hard floor. "Don't ever ask me to use the scream again?" she begged.

"I assure you that if I can help it, I won't," Maul replied with a cold smile. "Now let's go kick Claudius' ass and bring him back home for his trial," she stated. "To that I couldn't agree more, which is why I want you to go after him alone. I'll hold off the Jedi (acting on behalf of my master in carrying out some of the good old Sith vengeance upon them) while you go and finish this little adventure," he said.

Ophelia rose up and kissed him on the cheek before they made their way towards the Palace, their lightsabers ready to do what they did best. Maul was excited at the chance to kill Jedi in a way that would benefit the quest in every way and hinder it in none. Readying both sides of his double-sided lightsaber, he returned the kiss and said, "May the Force be with us both", before calling the remaining Jedi out of the Palace. _No doubt it's going to be the biggest battle we have ever had to fight during this entire adventure across multiple dimensions in the goal of saving all reality from the wishes of Claudius and Darth Vitiate _he thought excitedly.


	14. FoP: Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

"It's a shame more than half of your entire force was destroyed, Master Jedi. If you had listened to me and avoided marching your soldiers into a situation where my sister's sonic scream could be used, we wouldn't be having this discussion," Claudius snarled. "Calm down my lord, this battle is not yet over and don't worry, I have the last one thousand on hold in case we need them," replied a Jedi Master named Horus. "Forget them, you need them to protect your Temple in case anything else may be going on," Claudius ordered, frustrated.

"Why forget them? It's not like we have terrorist groups that could attack at any moment," Horus asked. "Because if I remember correctly, there are those who fear and hate the peace you brought to this galaxy by force of arms, right?" Claudius answered. "I was there when that happened and peace had existed long before then but wouldn't have continued unless we did what we had to," Horus said.

"Spoken like a true Sith Lord, Darth Vitiate would love to disembody himself from me and unto you were it not for the fact that you have short-sighted goals that don't involve alternate realities," Claudius replied. "No, spoken like a warrior who had to deal the killing blow to that evil Lord whose name must not be mentioned. Yes, I killed that man and I was the one who restored the peace he would have shattered had I not killed him with my blade," Horus said, alarmed Claudius would judge him as a true Sith Lord. "You really think I wouldn't bear to know his name, go ahead and tell me what it was," Claudius ordered.

"You are my lord and master, therefore I must obey. His name was the same as yours, Claudius Draco I," Horus said, obeying his new lord. "Foolish nonsense and poppycock, besides, I made sure to check the history books in case you tried lying to me. The correct name of the lord you killed was Fortinbras III of this planet," Claudius snarled.

"I will always bow before my lord when I am wrong and serve him when he commands it but I tell you now, I do not agree with what you are doing. You will regret it when the time comes for your judgment to be given," Horus vowed. _Do not fret, I already read his mind and he's afraid of you more than he isn't and is trying to hide it by talking big _Vitiate told his host. Claudius smiled and silently thanked Vitiate for giving him the notification as to the true emotions of his Jedi slave.

**"Go find Claudius, I'll hold** off the Jedi hoards!" Maul shouted. Ophelia nodded, remembering that the plan was to take down Claudius by any means necessary as long as he could be taken into custody and not savagely executed. She didn't doubt that Claudius would be seeing what the Sith Emperor could offer him so she made sure to keep her lightsaber near her and constantly activated. The familiar blue blade hummed near her and acted as comfort especially now that Odette was dead, giving her a feeling of vulnerability that she had never experienced.

Sometimes, she wondered if Maul ever experienced that same vulnerability for even a moment but suspected what the answer would be almost as quickly. Knowing that he was an apprentice to a Sith Lord, she doubted he wasn't given very much room for vulnerability if any. So although she knew that the Sith were evil from the history books (with the seeming exception of her love) she tried to imagine herself as one and to imagine how she would chastise herself for this vulnerability.

She entered what she guessed was the Throne Room from sensing a dark presence beyond the door. Cutting through carefully, she began to realize how everything began to click in. Claudius never intended to give up his pursuit of Heraklion Prime, just stay in this dimension long enough to destroy the Jedi and fuel Darth Vitiate's presence in his body. How else could he possibly be so strongly connected to the Force now when he hadn't been previously?

She entered and was not surprised to see a stairway leading to a golden chair with Claudius seated, wearing battle armor that reminded her of home. "Welcome sister to my new empire and oh, a couple of my new friends want to meet you," Claudius said. She knew he had enough time to indulge into the madness of Vitiate's possession and completely lost it. Unfortunately, she had no time to respond to that when to Jedi Masters attacked her from both flanks.

Their green lightsabers hummed to life and zoomed past her as she dodged a slash from each side. Then she turned to face them and managed to cut one down with ease almost immediately. The next one was a little more difficult though, even forcing Claudius to call out to him and tell him to be careful. "Do not blunder into her trap Horus as your Jedi brother Osiris did just now!" he shouted.

The Jedi warrior named Horus took that advice and apparently decided to switch tactics from whatever he was originally using to switch to a style Ophelia had never seen before. Then suddenly, she remembered holograms for a style with the same stances as this one and recognized this form to be Makashi. _So he's wielding Form II of Lightsaber Combat instead of what appeared to have been Form V Djem So a moment ago _Ophelia thought to herself. From there, she immediately determined a weakness in his style that she could immediately exploit with her own lightsaber skills.

Instead of her original tactic of using Soresu to fight him, she upgraded to Ataru and begin to swing and twirl her lightsaber while also jumping into the air repeatedly, twisting her body and performing incredible somersaults as she moved. He put up a terrific fight but due to his old age, he was significantly slower than her and was soon overwhelmed by her acrobatic skills and slashed to death. Claudius applauded her "artwork" then surprised her by using the Force to call both Horus' lightsaber and Osiris' into each of his hands as if he had always had the power of Darth Vitiate within him. "Surprising is it not, the power that Lord Vitiate has granted me during his time in my body?" Claudius asked.

"I would have been disappointed if it were any other way, brother," Ophelia replied. Claudius smiled and attacked first, surprising her with a flurry of slashes from both lightsabers. Switching from the offensive Ataru to the defensive Soresu in order to contain the full fury of her brother's lethal skill. For a long time, all the duel became was an exchange of deflected blows between them with brief moments that might have looked like a turn of tides for one of them but was a false alarm instead.

Then Ophelia realized something: her strategy of wearing her brother down then striking (as Soresu demanded) was not going to work on him, Darth Vitiate fueled him with too much power for that to be possible. Instead, she reignited her spurt of Ataru while simultaneously adding guerilla-style bursts of Djem So in order to hopefully have a start in overwhelming even Vitiate. Surprisingly, her plan worked better than she would have thought it would but she didn't get a chance to enjoy the glory long (nor would she have done so anyway). Because at the next instant, her brother began to turn the tide and even made moves that looked as though the lightsabers had been merged into a double-sided lightsaber like Darth Maul's.

"You know something sister, I never quite understood why father valued you so much even if at the time, you had a connection to the Force and I didn't. While it was true that you had the sonic scream that could be amplified by your powers, I was the true brains of us both before even I knew that," Claudius mocked. Ophelia said nothing for she already knew the answer to that "mystery". The reason their father loved her more than Claudius was because Ophelia used her skills for the good of her people whereas Claudius used his for the benefit of himself and/or Laertes.

However, because she did not answer aloud, Claudius continued his pointless rambling. "I never wanted the throne, I only wanted to bring peace, unity, and equality to the people through the only means in which it could be done. Sure there were a few setbacks, (including the time Laertes accidentally shot me in the leg thus causing my limp) but the benefits have been profoundly rewarding to all but me, even you reaped some benefit without knowing. My means may have indeed mimicked the Sith of the olden days but at least it achieved its goals," he said.

"Whether the intention is good or not, the actions were still evil and will weigh you down until you come to face that reality. Until then, the only difference between you and the Sith is that you were not Force-sensitive while they were," she replied calmly. Claudius seemed enraged by that reply and she even saw a tear, a sight she had not seen in what seemed eternity, run down his cheek. "All my effort to practically hand you your destiny to be a Jedi and this is how you repay me?" he asked.

"I'm sorry Claudius but I cannot forsake the Jedi Code, even for my family," Ophelia answered. "Then you die," Claudius hissed maliciously. "Do you know the fabled Rule of Two supposedly invented by a Sith Lord by the name of Darth Bane?" Ophelia asked, hoping to at least slow the duel and talk some sense into her brother before it was too late. Unfortunately, any hope she had of quelling his killer fire were destroyed when he answered that he knew thanks to Darth Vitiate being in his poisoned but intelligent mind.

"**Surrender now young man** and we promise to beg amnesty from Lord Claudius when you're brought before him for his justice. We give you our most sincere word that this vow will hold firm and true," said an anonymous Jedi Knight to Maul. "I shall never surrender nor shall I beg for mercy, those who beg for mercy do not deserve it," Maul replied with a growl. With that reply, he ignited both ends of his double-sided lightsaber and immediately decapitating an unfortunate warrior that got in the way of one of the lethal, swift, spinning blades.

From then on, Maul did not think with his mind or his heart. His whole body as well as his lightsaber became extensions of the Dark Side itself as Sidious had hammered into his mind for as long as he could remember. He did not care for whether or not he stabbed a female Human or mutilated a male Rodian, all he cared about was that he was at last unleashing his full potential upon these fools who believed in peace over passion, weakness over strength. But lastly, he did not care if he was fighting against four hundred and thirty-two Jedi Knights that were summoned to capture or kill him and Ophelia.

The despair, fear, and hopelessness felt by the weaker Jedi would feed him and drive him to the victory over the stronger ones that was necessary for his salvation. The only thought in his mind was of the Sith verdict that laid the path of power plainly for those who sought it out. _Peace is a lie, there is only Passion. Through Passion, I gain Strength, through Strength I gain Power, through Power I gain Victory, through Victory my chains are broken, through Victory, my chains are broken _he told himself as he slaughtered and butchered his inferior enemies.

He was so consumed in the passion of the fight that he did not notice his vocal cords utter a hideous battle cry that made some wet themselves and give others a mild sweat. As he continued, rapidly dwindling the numbers of his opponent from first three digits to two before approaching one, he slowly cooled his energies so that he could focus them on the last of the Jedi that remained. He even went so far as to take the fear and despair in their hearts from seeing their friends lying dead, whether intact or in pieces, and fueling his final assault to be much more vigorous than his initial efforts.

The last thirteen who stood against him after what seemed like days (but had actually been merely two to three hours) coordinated their attacks simultaneously in a last ditch effort to overcome their enemy. It was an effort that was extended in vain because Maul cut eight more in five minutes and four in another two. The last one got the honor of her arms being severed and Maul's lightsaber pointed mere centimeters from her face. "Wait, who are you to be so powerful?" she asked and he answered before then ramming his blade between her eyes.


	15. FoP: Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Though it felt like hours, Ophelia soon found out she had bee dueling for only a few mere minutes. When one let the Force flow through them and let their bodies as well as their lightsaber become extensions of their inner power, one had to forget material concepts such as time. But even with this concentration that helped her to last throughout this entire duel, she was starting to sweat and she knew where it would eventually lead in the future. She had to end this duel with her brother and bring him down before exhaustion and fatigue made her an easy target for him.

So instead of continuing her stubborn stance of Soresu, she changed her style back into the acrobatic finesse of Ataru although the switch was slightly messy. However, she deliberately did that so she could make Claudius (and hopefully Darth Vitiate) think that she was beginning to become lethargic with exhaustion. Then, when he had dropped some of his defense, she then switched to Djem So and forced him to back up several steps since Jar'Kai had a weaker defense than it did offense due to each arm having energy being expended to one blade instead of one blade for both hands. She gave him a solid kick to the face and then launched a powerful wave of Force energy that threw her opponent several meters across the room.

It gave her all the space she needed to resume her Ataru tactics without fear of Claudius being able to penetrate her defenses again. "Come on Claudius, use some of your reason to look at where you are! Think of how you are now on my terms, I beg you," Ophelia said. It was a last ditch effort to try and persuade her brother to give up the power Darth Vitiate fed him with but she had a feeling it wouldn't work.

Her feeling was confirmed but what he said to her after that. "You think I'm going to give all this power and the greater power I could obtain over all reality just so you and your puny Order can have their way with me? Never shall I surrender and never will I bow down to _you _again, sister!" he replied. "You never had to bow down to me in the first place, father just was just trying his best to raise a daughter because neither he nor mother had ever grown up around sisters or even had a mother to teach them right from wrong," Ophelia desperately explained.

"Oh please, do not give me that excuse. We both know that seldom acts as a means of justifying how they treated me and how they treated you," Claudius replied. "But that doesn't mean you have to pursue the destruction of all reality if in the end, you just want to get even with our parents!" Ophelia demanded. "Our mother and father abusing me _isn't _the reason I pursue the destruction of all reality," Claudius said.

Ophelia paused for a moment that either Claudius didn't notice or didn't care for before asking him what the reason was if not revenge against their parents. "I heard how our galaxy made promises about peace and beauty but saw only the filth. What's worse was that it was filth making filth making filth making filth! I was hopelessly lost in my quest to find some measure of beauty and had even designed my portal gun just so I could see if there was any such beauty as I imagined for myself," he explained.

When Ophelia had nothing to say to that he continued. "This is the only dimension where I found _any _beauty at all. Unfortunately, its beauty is not enough to compare with the filth that I have seen in all of the others thus, my only choice to find any beauty is to find Heraklion Prime and destroy the reality you know before starting all over again. And when I do start again, I will rebuild all the dimensions into one beautiful and unified universe with no filth.

"Under my guidance, no child will have to feel like his talents are unappreciated just because his sister has a sonic scream that can be amplified by the powers of the Force. It is under me that the ruin brought about by the filth of this universe shall be healed and restored to a greater glory than even your pathetic Jedi Order could possibly imagine. Those short-sighted fools have barely been to the edge of their own galaxy, let alone to entire dimensions of it," Claudius snarled. "No Claudius, with your damaged mind, the 'filth' you claim you're trying to destroy will only worsen under your guidance: we humans have no been made rulers of the universe in all its dimensions for very good reasons, after all," Ophelia replied.

"How you have come to hate me like this is beyond me," Claudius stated before resuming his attack. "I didn't come to hate you, you came to hate me and envy me. You were the one who started blaming me for how you ended up, not the other way around!" Ophelia said between deflecting strokes of her brother's green lightsabers. She continued by adding that once, he had been Ophelia's hero, the man she idolized whenever their father was away fighting their grandfather or making a new ally.

"But now, all I see is a madman broken by the power given him and left with nothing but a lust for greater power. All I see is Darth Vitiate's unfortunate pawn in the schemes of the ancient Sith to resurrect himself and destroy the universe," she concluded. "I wield more power, broken or not and mad or not, than you could possibly imagine, Jedi fool!" Claudius replied. She intercepted another slash from one of his green blades with the full knowledge that he was lost to her.

** Darth Maul made his way** through the now empty corridors, finishing off what few Jedi had escaped his initial surge of dark power. Unfortunately for him and his lust for blood, these were mere Padawans who had lost Masters to his skillful blade. All disappointed him but they did their job of somewhat satisfying his lust for the moment. What he was really after was Ophelia's brother Claudius without whom, none of this would have been possible.

Fortunately, he had one more obstacle before he could reach Claudius that was actually looking like a challenge to his skills as a warrior. It was a Jedi Master who guarded the door to Claudius' throne room, the very thought of which excited Maul. She was an old human with a wrinkled face that showed nothing but experience in combat. Already, she reminded Maul much of Ophelia's Master Odette and he hoped this one was at least nearly as good.

He was not disappointed when the old woman put up a terrific fight against him before also falling before his use of Juyo and both sides of his double-sided lightsaber. After that, he noticed that there was the added bonus of the door being bolted shut, likely to attempt to keep him from interfering with the duel between Ophelia and her brother. It did a good job considering that all it did was stall his inevitable entry into the confrontation as he slowly cut a circle across the door big enough for him to walk into the room. But by the time he managed to cut it down and walk in, it seemed the duel was already over.

** Ophelia continued to alter** between Soresu and Djem So as often as possible, keeping an even amount of ground for herself and her brother to duel in. However, Claudius made an unexpected move when he did an undercut in the fashion of scissors with both of his lightsabers and sent hers flying right out of her hands. "It is over now, now I will destroy you at long last!" Claudius gloated. Then he attempted to do a downward slash but she caught both of his arms in her hands, holding back the assault with her raw strength of muscle.

Claudius didn't know what to do at that point since he most definitely could not afford to sacrifice one of his blades just to get free. But Ophelia was free to do the one thing she never wished she had to do: she could use the sonic scream if she had a heart for doing it. Inhaling deeply, she concentrated the air in her lungs into a massive sonic wave then multiplied its power six-fold, seeing Claudius' frightened face as she did the deed. Then she exhaled and unleashed her greatest power upon him, throwing him across the entire throne room like a cur throwing a rag doll.

When he landed at the wall, he hit it hard enough to make the stone crack and practically swallow him into it. She followed that blow quickly with a wave of Force energy from her hands, smashing him right through the wall. Ophelia knew that without Force power, those combined blows would have killed Claudius under normal circumstances if he lasted throughout the earlier lightsaber duel. But these were not normal circumstances so she went to the spot where he went through the wall, igniting her lightsaber in case he wasn't dead.

To her surprise, there was no body to be seen which led her to suspect that he was still alive or else Darth Vitiate had taken possession of his body in order to carry him to the next portal and the dimension beyond it. "He went through the floor and down to the chambers below us," a familiar voice said. "Maul, how did you know and how could you possibly of survived the Jedi hoards? You took so long that I thought they managed to kill you," she asked him.

"You should try giving me more credit than that if you want truly want to find him before he escapes," Maul answered. She realized he was right and apologized immediately than asking him if he could pinpoint where Claudius-Vitiate might be going. Surprisingly, he was already several floors down, likely heading out of the Palace and into a new spot. That was, until Maul said he was head for the underground floors of the Palace's bowels.

"I have enough power in my scream to create an opening down into the first underground floor. After that, I need to conserve my energy or else I will collapse and/or fall out of consciousness before having the chance to catch him once more," Ophelia said. Maul nodded and told her to do it whilst clearing some distance for her. She successfully cleared a path to the first of the underground floors then jumped through with Maul following right behind.

_**You're lucky I need you** alive or else I would have dropped your body at the instant she defeated you and tried to possess her! You should truly be more careful with the power I have given you in the future or else I may dump you regardless of my need for you _Vitiate hissed. "I realize that but keep in mind I've only had this power for a few weeks, going by the standard time of our dimension's galaxy and I still have much to learn! You may not know it yet but we have plenty of time for me to learn how to properly use your power since this elevator will take us down to the third underground floor, leaving only a descent down two more on foot," Claudius calmly replied.

He was surprised he could hold his temper in after having been practically killed by his own sister. Claudius anticipated many things but her attack on him was not among those things. It was one of few experiences that had ever actually caught him off guard but the good thing was that Claudius never made the same mistake twice nor would he be defeated the same way twice. Besides, the next point of entry was at the bottom of this Palace and directly on the wall in front of him once he opened the door into the fifth floor of the underground levels.

In fact, it was so direct that he could literally shoot at it with his portal gun the moment he entered the room. Smiling at the simplicity of the next exit, me made sure to let Vitiate know of it and even briefly gloated about this small victory against Ophelia and her friend. _Just get us there and perhaps I will forgive your failure this time but fail like this again and I will dump you and leave for dead unless that isn't an option for me _Vitiate vowed. "I assure you that it will never happen again because this is the last one before we finally reach Heraklion Prime itself," Claudius replied.

The thought of having only one more dimension to travel through before reaching Heraklion Prime must have sounded really good. Because Vitiate never spoke again for the rest of this last leg of the journey nor did he do so when they arrived at their point of exit. It was actually a kind of relief when he didn't speak up as it was to see that he still had the lightsabers he had stolen off Horus and Osiris when Ophelia killed them. He had a feeling he was going to be needing them again before too long and it wouldn't be Ophelia facing him this time.

Besides, how could one be sure if that warrior called Maul had _any _reservation about killing Claudius and ending his plans for the universe? It was better to be careful with one of his kind than to be sorry. Especially when it could mean the end of very intricate plans that had been years in the making. He activated the portal quickly and went through in less than an instant.


	16. FoP: Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

Maul sensed the opening long before he saw it and he knew Ophelia sensed it too. This feeling could only mean one thing: that Claudius had somehow evaded them and opened a portal into the next dimension they were going to be in. Using the Force to increase their speed, they descended down the last two underground floors with all haste, barely missing Claudius but having enough time to follow him with the same portal he had used. "I feel something else besides this, it could only mean one thing," Ophelia began.

She didn't need to elaborate for Maul to know what she meant by that perceptive remark. "Either we have arrived at Heraklion Prime or we are very close to after all this time and all this tedious effort," he agreed. "It's far more power than I have ever sensed but I'm not sure if it's really Heraklion Prime. Only one way to find out as always," Ophelia said.

Together, they stepped into the next portal and waited for a few moments in the familiar white light that surrounded them at every angle, even under their feet. Then they arrived at the most unfamiliar scene that they had ever had to see in their travels. The only thing they saw to help them (which was not much but still something to go by) was a flag with red and white stripes across the entirety except with a blue square that contained fifty white stars. "One thing's for sure, we'll need to find cover until we can get a clue as to where we are in the universe," Ophelia said.

Maul could not agree more and pointed out a place that looked good to stop at. Using as much caution as they could (in spite of having to bump into a few people who got too close), they made their way to what looked like a safe haven for them. It was certainly a change from being unable to rest for fear that Claudius would get away from them again. They didn't know it but they had chosen to stop at what was called a Motel 6 at the coast of a place known as New York City in this dimension and what they knew as Heraklion was called Earth in this version of their universe.

Though Maul was confused about this environment and Ophelia was lost in the sights there were to see, he quickly found a way to pick up Claudius' trail once more. He decided that he would lock on to the Force energy Claudius gave off or else on the energy that Darth Vitiate created within the man's mortal body. To his surprise, it was much trickier to find either than he had anticipated but the deed was done nonetheless. Maul's guess was that either Vitiate had yet to teach Claudius how to mask their power or else Claudius had refused to learn, both of which sounded like really good things to consider later.

But for now, he needed to let Ophelia know that he had a lock on Claudius' present position. He even told her how it was not too far away from where they were and if they hurried, they could reach him quickly. Unfortunately, where they were going would soon be filled with millions of people if they were unlucky enough to be stuck in something that slowed them. "It seems to be what you would know as a concert back in our galaxy and I could barely make out the name of the person performing due to the writing but what I did make out was the name 'Justin' which might be a clue," he added.

"A concert may work in our favor if we move so let's stop blabbing and actually get going before he moves on to Heraklion Prime itself," Ophelia replied. Maul smiled in agreement and clipped his lightsaber back onto his belt before they proceeded out of the Motel 6 they had taken shelter in. Ophelia remembered how he had to use his lightsaber to persuade the clerk into lending him a room when the man didn't accept his credits. "You always have a backup plan, don't you?" she had asked to which he nodded in enthusiastic reply.

**One good thing about doing** research about interdimensional travel was that Claudius had done it long enough to know the basic alphabet of the dominant language in an area he entered. The language here was English which sounded every bit like Basic but had a writing style completely different from the Basic Aurebesh he knew back home. The place he was going to now to escape Maul and Ophelia was what these humans called a concert but apparently a very extraordinary one considering the crowd. Young teenage girls squealed with excitement and their boyfriends (or siblings, Claudius couldn't tell the difference) merely huffed in disinterest.

"I don't get why you like his music so much, it's literally shit," said one boy. "But he's so hot and his voice is cute!" replied the girl next to him before squealing again. Claudius went up to the boy after she left and asked who they were talking about. "It's just Justin Bieber, he comes to New York like every other week but I truly _despise _his music, ever heard him?" the boy replied, mildly surprised and a bit proud.

"No, never have and from the sound of what you're saying, I shouldn't," Claudius lied. "If you value your taste in music and your life, you don't because once your girl sees him in concert… Nine times out of ten you'll be having her beg you to take her to every concert possible," the boy explained grumpily. "Thank you for your input, unfortunately, I have to go by if not through the concert on the way to where I'm presently going," Claudius said before paying him for his trouble.

_I sensed a rather massive aura of disappointment and boredom about him. Could he possibly know something about where we're going? _Vitiate asked him. _No, not possible because he was just talking about how he hates a certain musician that his girlfriend happens to love _Claudius answered. He had lied about hearing Justin Bieber since he wanted to cover what he was going to do next: he was planning on killing Justin then frame Maul and Ophelia for the crime.

If they were not captured, at least it would stall them until Claudius found his way to the final portal point that would lead at last into Heraklion Prime. He still had his blaster with him but he didn't think he would want to make a mess of killing naïve boy who thought he was a musical god due to how many women would swoon and scream at him in stupid fanaticism but was in truth, nothing more than a boy who hid his pathetic excuse for the arts, behind artificial beats, light shows, and dances that could be schooled in virtually any concert back home. But if his plot was done right, he would be on his way to Heraklion Prime before Maul or Ophelia could pick up his trail again. Smiling, he made his way to the concert and called up the backstage pass that he had bought as well as the front seat reservation he made simultaneously; his enemies didn't stand a chance now that he had the aces up his meticulous sleeve.

**The good news was that** Maul and Ophelia managed to get to the concert before the crowd became too overpowering even for them. They even managed to get into the last of the front row seats before it began. However, Maul sensed Claudius' presence nearby and even saw him before long. "Ophelia, Claudius is over there," he whispered quietly.

Before she said anything, he told her to approach from the left side of him and he would approach from the right. "We can't afford him squeezing out of this like he did back in the other dimension we were at just days ago," Maul said. Ophelia nodded and made her way down the row that continued behind her and Maul did the same. His intention was to attack Claudius from each flank but with the crowd coming in, he might be slowed down a bit.

It angered him that these people were getting in his way and even saw what he looked like with looks of revulsion. "Get that thing out of here!" one woman said to her boyfriend or husband. Maul ran him through his lightsaber and told the woman to shut up before moving on to Claudius. But as he came closer to his target, he began to regret having killed that man with his blade just because he was coming near him.

Especially when Claudius turned toward him with both of the lightsabers already in his hands and needing only for the blades to be ignited. Maul quickly pulled out his own and ignited the blade just in time to meet Claudius' vicious assault head on. The good thing was that Maul had an upstanding knowledge of Form III Soresu's defensive maneuvers but what made it better for him was that with an experienced opponent like Claudius, he could easily rush back into his primary style of Form VII Juyo. Even with his impressive use of Jar'Kai considering that he had never handled lightsabers until he met Vitiate, Claudius' lack of experience showed when he began giving ground to Maul.

Unfortunately for him, Claudius had more tricks up his sleeve than even Darth Maul had originally anticipated. Claudius pushed him away with the Force before turning his attention to his escape route. He was angered to see that the concert was about to begin but the good thing was that he had no reservation about killing anyone who got in his path. Luckily, he only really had to strike down three people and wound two with Bieber amongst the dead having been scalped alive while Claudius began to make his escape through the stadium.

Darth Maul followed intent on catching his prey and ending this wild Bantha chase at last. However, Claudius had yet another surprise in store for him when they arrived at the entrance of an elevator shaft leading in only one direction: down. He jumped, ignited both blades on opposite sides of the shaft and lowered himself down at a fast but controlled rate, most likely due to a lack of confidence in the Force saving him if he made such a jump unaided by his weapons. Maul let him slide down halfway than followed him but jumping without the aid of his double-sided lightsaber.

When he landed, he immediately continued following his quarry to a harbor where massive ships were giving and taking cargo. Maul only knew one thing: his prey aimed to use one of the ships to get away from him and he couldn't let Claudius escape him once more only to threaten innocent lives another day. But Maul would not have cared if it didn't mean the end of all reality if Claudius had his way with his manipulation of travel between dimensions. At the moment though, he would have to be content to chasing Claudius to save his universe as he knew it in all its majestic glory.

**Ophelia couldn't believe** what she was going through after she separated from Maul. The police saw the scalped body of Justin Bieber and immediately assumed she was responsible for the crime. She tried to explain that her brother was responsible but the leader would not have any of it. "Where is your brother?" the police officer asked.

"My colleague is chasing him down right now and I will be sure to turn him to you when we've got him," she promised. She knew she couldn't afford to turn Claudius over to petty enforcers of petty laws made by normal people to keep them safe from themselves. Claudius was destined for the justice of the Republic assuming Maul didn't kill him first. She couldn't believe she was doing this nor was she confident she could pull it off but she knew she had to try for the sake of the mission.

"You did not see me here at all," she said, employing the Jedi mind trick against him. "I did not see you here at all," he repeated. She then told him that he and his officers would tend to the bodies of the dead and get medicine for the wounded. He repeated the instructions and began making his way to obey them quickly and decisively.

Of all the characteristics she shared with Maul, being a cold-blooded killer, even for a moment, was not among them. The good thing was she managed to avoid a confrontation with these beings that were human but were derived of any midi-chlorians in their bloodstream as far as she could immediately tell. One thing was certain now: she needed to find Maul then find Claudius if the two were not too distant from each other. It was the only hope she had considering that he had escaped her in the alternated Jedi Temple in spite of her use of the sonic scream; so now she hoped Maul had him in his clutches and had not yet killed her brother and Darth Vitiate.


	17. FoP: Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

Darth Maul managed to corner his prey on a carrier that would have been departing were it not for an accident in loading up the cargo. An accident which Maul himself had caused to delay them long enough to give Ophelia the chance to reunite and help him finish this in a diplomatic matter. Regardless, they were at the end of the ship and Maul knew that even with Vitiate's deep wells of power, Claudius could never survive a swim across the ocean to wherever he was going. Claudius did the thing Maul expected most and turned to face him when confronted with having reached the end of the ship, reigniting both lightsabers as he turned.

However, now that he was at the mercy of Maul's skills with a blade, he knew he was going to lose this round and possibly his life. Fortunately, Maul held back and merely disarmed him by slicing both lightsabers in half at the hilts thus deactivating the blades permanently and leaving him helpless to Lord Maul. Maul spared him but held him at blade point, telling him not to move or else he would surely die. Claudius laughed and told Maul that he was a fool if he thought he could hold Claudius until Ophelia arrived. Maul asked him to explain why only to be answered by Claudius closing his eyes, tilting his head completely back, then erecting it and opening his eyes to reveal a red glow about them.

"Claudius has temporarily given me possession of his body so that I may show you a power you've probably never seen before," said the Sith Emperor, Darth Vitiate. Maul swung his lightsaber as far back as he could to decapitate him but then, quicker than he could strike, Vitiate turned into a black cloud and flew into the night sky. He left a trail of red light in his wake and though Maul had never seen this done before, he knew about trails like this well enough to know that Vitiate and Claudius were not done with this game of cat and mouse with him and Ophelia. And as if thinking of her acted as a summons, she arrived shortly after Vitiate took his flight and asked about the blood red trail.

"That would be Darth Vitiate having taken possession of your brother and transformed into a black cloud that leaves a red trail behind just so he could escape me," Maul answered. "Then let's waste no time, find a boat we can steal and let's follow him before we love that kriffing trail," Ophelia replied. Maul found one immediately and, in spite of Ophelia's protests about subtlety, ordered the owner to show them how to work the boat before then disposing of him. When Ophelia scowled at him, he told her that a principle of the Sith was to cut out all loose ends lest they end up making the Sith suffer for their error.

"Like it or not, confidentiality at all costs is essential right now. We can't afford to have more than Claudius and Vitiate to handle," he added. Sad thing was that though Ophelia despised his approach to _that _matter, she knew he was right and sighed to signal that she had nothing more to say. Maul got the boat going and told her to get some rest so that she could replace him when he became too tired to keep going.

Ophelia had never known rest for a long time and was glad when she managed to find solace in heavily sleeping for the first time since her training at the Temple began. Odette had insisted that she replace heavy sleeping with two hours of meditation and she knew that it would have been more beneficial to have done precisely that but in this case, she could not resist. As Maul cruised the fast little ship across the Atlantic Ocean, her mind went to places she hadn't been to since she was a little girl. At first, there was nothing but the darkness that came with sleep combined with a slight tinge of moonlight blocked mostly by her closed, sleepy eyelids.

Then she came across memories from her past on the Nyx system as well as her life as heiress to the Draconian Throne unless her father negotiated otherwise. She dreamed of playing with her two older sisters in their mother's garden that she had made specifically for them. That led into the old memories of when Claudius used to be a cheerful, hyper, and brilliant child with no capability of malicious for either himself or their beloved family. She remembered how her father would smile down at her with his battle-scarred but gentle face before taking her into his arms and swinging her around the air as he had done with Claudius when he was that same age.

It was a series of happy moments in her life that she never wanted to forget or let go of no matter how much Odette insisted she had to let go of these "attachments" as she called them. Then the happy memories began to take a dark turn that Ophelia had never forgotten even as a Jedi Knight. Juliet I became pregnant again shortly after Ophelia had turned three years old and initially, no one would have suspected it would bring dark tidings to them all. But that was before the Baron of Coriolanus' father Fortinbras had come to them under the guise of peace after years of bitter war and had instead poisoned the Queen's drink, killing her and the unborn child instantly.

Stupidly, Coriolanus had responded by sending twenty thousand warriors to lead the attack and wipe out the Baron's capital city to the last child. After that, he hastily wedded both of Ophelia's sisters to the sons of two of his allies, his Count and his Duke. Helena went to the Count's son who forcibly made her produce three children, only one of whom was a son. Juliet II went to a son who never even cared if they had children but had also produced a son for his father to call kin.

Suddenly, Ophelia noticed that only Claudius, Laertes, and Coriolanus remained in her lives save the very occasional visits of her sisters from their new homes miles away from this one. Laertes was in no rush to get married and instead allowed himself to be guided to every brothel within the immediate vicinity. Meanwhile, Claudius retreated into his books, experimentations, and business deals with offworld clients that provided cheap materials at expensive prices. Lastly, Coriolanus was swallowed up by battle plans to avenge his honor and kill Fortinbras personally.

The latter two were barely out enough and Laertes was out too often, forcing Ophelia to rely on the nurses and maids in order to have anymore fun. Whenever Claudius came out of his room, he always carried his dagger with him and told her that he had no time to play "childish games" with her right then. It had only taken two years for these changes to take full effect and it would be another year before the next section of her ominous reminder of the past came. Fortinbras' forces came bearing down on Coriolanus' Draconian Palace and Coriolanus had shoved Claudius and Ophelia up to the top of the highest tower along with Juliet who had returned due to the death of her new family during the war.

She remembered being the first one shepherded into the portal after it opened and being told that Juliet would follow shortly. The most traumatizing part of all that was that instead of Juliet as promised, Claudius was the one who came through the other side instead. He had told her that Fortinbras' soldiers had shot Juliet before she could enter but now Ophelia realized that that was not true in any way. Before going into close-ranged combat, Claudius always laced his dagger with a poison so powerful that even a simple cut had the poor victim lying dead in merely three to five seconds.

And since being scratched was bad enough, Ophelia could only imagine how quickly it would be over if one was stabbed directly. Her dream came to a conclusion when she looked up to Claudius and he pushed her toward Odette. She had never wanted to be separated from the only family she had left even if Claudius had become a cold-blooded engineer of genocide. "Now your new life begins even if you will not abandon this old one at first," Odette said.

Ophelia woke up screaming from the dreams and loudly since Maul was startled by the noise. "You were dreaming, were you not?" Maul asked. Ophelia nodded and Maul told her that it was about time for her turn at any rate. "It's quite easy once you get the hang of it," he told her.

And while she drove the boat onward, not worrying about fuel since Maul had made sure to fill the boat to its limits even in the emergency tanks, Maul slept without dreams. It was a wonder that he even slept at all considering that until now, he had relied on meditation and the power of the Dark Side in order to remain active 24/7. But he had to admit that it was good to actually _sleep _instead of drawing on the energies of the Force to continue going. It not only boosted his morale but for once, it gave him a sense of normality.

** Claudius-Vitiate arrived at a U.S.** Carrier shipping exports to China but they didn't know what these goods were. All they knew was that in order to reach their next destination in one piece, they would have to stop traveling as a mist at least until the following night when darkness would give them the least trouble in their travel. "Hey, you can't be back here!" said a worker almost immediately after they arrived. "I'm sorry but I have been traveling for a long time and I merely mean to rest before resuming my travels to my destination," Claudius replied, having made Vitiate retreat back into his mind.

"Oh so you've been swimming only to now catch this carrier in the ocean?" the worker asked him. "You have no idea," Claudius answered. "Oh so you'll be one of those guys, huh?" the worker retorted. Claudius shook his head and simply grabbed his neck in a Force choke, ending his life both quickly and cleanly.

After that, he donned on the workers uniform which barely fit his frame but well enough for no one to notice him. Especially since Vitiate had granted him the ability to metamorphose into another person or another animal. He disguised himself as the disgruntled worker he had to kill and tossed his body overboard before anyone would suspect a thing. The disgusting part was that he knew he couldn't stay in this form long, he would have to leave the following night in order to stand a chance of reaching the other side of the world before Maul and Ophelia caught up to him.

He already had knowledge of where he was going due to having planned his path before this. His destination was called the "Pyramids of Giza" and it was the biggest of the three that he wanted to be going to. At the top of the pyramid would be the next portal point and his entrance into Heraklion Prime. He had to admit that even with Vitiate's way of travel, it would still be up to a standard week before he reached that destination but it was better than waiting the months that traveling on this boat would take.

However, he wondered if Maul and Ophelia were traveling any faster on the boat they had and if they were closer to him than he originally projected. Then he used the keener sight of Vitiate's eyes to see where they were in the ocean. Surprisingly, from his position, they were only a few hundred miles out and rapidly closing in on him and Vitiate. He also noticed that getting to this point in the ocean was probably all the boat was going to be able to take with the way they were forcing it to stay at maximum speed.

Fuel was not a problem when compared with the fact that the boat was relatively old and slowly deteriorating, the rate of its inanimate end accelerating at the speed Maul and Ophelia were taking it to. However, a closer examination of the boat made Claudius realize that the boat was actually in a good enough shape to get them to China even under the pressure they were putting it through and keep a relatively moderate distance between themselves and Claudius. This revelation frightened Claudius almost as much as being defeated by Darth Maul and not knowing whether or not he'd be spared. _Make sure they never make it and perhaps we won't have to worry about destroying them a Heraklion Prime _Vitiate said.

_That's much easier said than done and at the moment I have no way of doing it without compromising this pathetic disguise _Claudius replied. _Then let me take over again for a moment and I can definitely get something done _Vitiate ordered. _No, I'm not stupid enough to let you do anything powerful again while my body is still recovering from that method of traveling we just undertook _Claudius said. Vitiate was silenced after that because it was then that the Sith Lord understood that while insane with power, Claudius was not arrogantly insane… yet that is.


	18. FoP: Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

After weeks of travel, Maul and Ophelia finally arrived at a spot where Maul could faintly sense Vitiate's presence and Ophelia could sense Claudius' also. "They're headed just west of where we are," Maul said. "I was about to come to the same conclusion with my connection to Claudius," Ophelia agreed. After settling that, both of them continued to travel west through Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, eventually traveling through the war-torn nation of Iraq and even suppressing a minor threat in Iran though the soldiers of the U.S.A. had not been given a single moment to even find out about the threat, never mind who stopped it from becoming reality.

Finally, they arrived at the destination where Claudius-Vitiate's presence proved strongest for both Jedi Knight and Sith Lord. And when they did, they were impressed by the magnificent size of these monuments in spite of the lack of sophisticated technology to have built something like these back home. Long ago, the Sith and the Rakata had built similar temples but all had been long since deserted, raided, and sometimes destroyed. But these pyramids were unlike those ones just in the sense that for the most part, they were relatively intact, damaged only by the elements and minor raids inside their cold chambers.

And in the distance, Maul could just barely spy Claudius using the Force to raise himself up to the top of the largest of the three Pyramids of Giza. "Ophelia, your brother is ascending the top of the pyramid. Let's waste no time since Heraklion Prime is next after we finish here!" he shouted to Ophelia. She nodded and using the Force, they both enhanced the speed at which they ran, arriving at the pyramid within a matter of seconds then ascending to the top and catching up with Claudius very quickly.

"Hello brother, where are you going without giving your sister a hug?" Ophelia mocked. "To Heraklion Prime and to the destruction of _all _reality as well as the Force itself at last!" he replied. Ophelia moved on to the attack first but Claudius swiped her away with ease before Maul came to replace her. Briefly, Claudius and Maul clashed through martial arts combat with Claudius holding his own relatively well.

Then Maul mistakenly kicked Claudius toward the top of the pyramid instead of away from it, allowing Claudius to shoot an opening to Heraklion Prime with his gun. Smiling, Claudius retreated and dared Maul and Ophelia to follow him into the primeval dimension of their universe. Igniting one end of his double-sided lightsaber, Maul was the first to finish the climb up the pyramid and Ophelia did likewise. Both entered the portal but neither Ophelia nor Maul were prepared for what awaited them on the other side of the portal.

When the familiar light passed over them again, they saw an empty land, derived of life and with only a few lumps of boulders making the largest items on this version of their universe. However, at the far center of their location, there was a beam of light running across a gigantic lump of brownish-yellow stone. "Welcome to Heraklion Prime," Claudius began. Maul and Ophelia turned to face him and saw not only that he no longer had glasses but also bore the red glowing eyes of the Sith Emperor, Darth Vitiate.

When only silence ensued, Claudius continued with his informal and casual greeting complete with a lecture. "Before there were Light and Dark Sides to the Force, before there were Ashla and Bogan, before there was good and evil, before the struggle between Order and Chaos, before there was thought, before there was even life existing… There was only this place and before it was only the Force however, when the Force created this planet it did so in order to have a source that bound it to the physical universe. Then with the coming of life forms, came the illusion of free will and with that illusion came the damage to this planet that you see all around," he finished.

"All points in the universe originate here, inevitably?" Maul asked. "Inevitably yes but you cannot always hope to find this version just by putting in the coordinates from wherever you are at to this. You have to make several jumps with the connection of the Force to guarantee safety in interdimensional travel," Claudius answered. Maul remembered his master mentioning that his predecessor Darth Plagueis had learned to manipulate the midi-chlorians using the Force to do so.

Reflecting on Sidious' words, he wondered if Claudius had found something similar but for travel instead of immortality. "Brother, do you have any idea as to the madness of what you're doing? Darth Vitiate has led you here on a misguided concept that you would have eternal power but will strip it away from you firs chance he can get!" Ophelia begged. "On the contrary sister, _I _manipulated _him _with promises of power and grandeur in Heraklion Prime and I have a strong enough will that if we were to use the Core's powers to become one, I would still be partly me but key word is partly," Claudius replied with a malicious smile.

"You're insane and more so than I could ever be," Maul whispered with a tinge of anger in his voice. "Does it really matter? There are at least a thousand versions of me that are actually quite charming," Claudius mocked. It was after that comment that Maul noticed something Ophelia had done, surprising both him and her brother.

She had used the Force to pull out his portal gun, transmit some coordinates into it, then pointed it at the bomb Claudius had installed near the beam of light which Maul deduced as the Core. After that, she used the Force to fire the weapon and open a portal that the bomb fell into despite Claudius' attempt to prevent that happening. The portal closed soon after and Ophelia then brought the portal gun right into her lightsaber, destroying it before Claudius could hope to use it again. At first, he was incredibly surprised and even cried out in frustration at having been tricked by his sister but a second look and Maul realized he was faking it.

_Now he's really gone insane if he thinks he can take us on as he is _Maul thought. But as if to respond to his thoughts, Claudius punched a hand into the portal and started laughing wickedly as the full might of the Force came rushing through his body at a speed that increased his power several fold with each passing second. Ophelia watched in awed surprise and Maul slowly moved in to see if he could strike a fatal blow on Claudius though he had found one when it was already too late. Claudius had plunged deep into the depths of the Force itself and no mere lightsaber was going to make him come back out now.

** In the dark recesses of Claudius' mind,** Lord Vitiate knew the time had come to at last merge with his host and become one and the same with him. Only then could he hope to summon the power of his old army of Sith Lords to use as fuel in his quest to first destroy this impudent boy called Darth Maul then his Jedi friend, Claudius' sister. And it was only after these mortal fools had been disposed of that he would draw enough power from the Core to dispose of Claudius altogether and control the entirety of the Force as well as all reality by himself. Right now, he already was able to conjure up enough power to have destroyed an entire army of Jedi with little if any effort from him.

Sharing certain aspects of his ego as well as his physical entity with Claudius, both mortal and Sith Lord welded into a single being who represented power at its rawest and most untamed. Now he would show them the true power of the Dark Side of the Force, he would show them what the Bogan rebels had discovered in the beginning of time. But most importantly, he would show them the power that had once nearly led a magnificent Sith Empire to victory against the Republic.

** "We are one and we** comprehend all knowledge that there was and ever could be. Now we, Claudiate, can call upon the souls of Sith Lords, past, present, and future to fuel our power and help us destroy you before controlling the Force and eternity itself!" shouted the twisted combination to Maul and Ophelia. Ophelia ignited her lightsaber and took on a stance of Ataru but besides that, she was perfectly stunned by what she was seeing. Darth Maul, though normally fearless, was appalled by the grotesque combination that stood before him and his love.

The skin that once was Caucasian-white was now blacker than ink and covered the entirety of the body. In fact, the combination's eyes were the only features that showed visual difference from the rest of the blackened body. And they glowed a fierce blood-red that literally shone bright as flashlights as they examined the clawed hands that felt around for immediately available resources for a weapon to wield. A clawed hand brushed across a straight rod of stone and the fingers slithered their way in a full circle across the entire thing, which was only about as thick as the hilt of a lightsaber.

Wrapping the energies of the Force completely around the rod, he yanked it out of where it was standing and had replaced the stone pole with a blade that shone a malevolent orange and the hilt was designed like that of a sword. Maul and Ophelia moved for the attack, hoping to beat him an a mere duel of blades but Claudiate surprised them by turning the blade of the sword into an energy whip that lashed its way across the ground and rose the floor to destructive heights before making them collapse and nearly bury them in tons of cold stone. Though Ophelia was slow in strategy under stress, Maul had learned to improvise and already saw that with each stroke of the whip, Claudiate manipulated the environment immediately around him to destroy his enemies. He even used the whip bringing down some of the stone roof above them to prove this point valid and thought up a strategy as he went fighting.

"Ophelia, flank him! I'm going to try and pry that whip away from him," he shouted and Ophelia nodded, knowing precisely how to do that perfectly. Letting her get ahead, Maul kept one end of his double-sided lightsaber ignited and the other deactivated in the hopes that Claudiate only suspected it was a blade with an untraditional hilt design added to it. After letting her get ahead some ways, he proceeded to attack Claudiate head on in a Juyo stance. He barely arrived when Claudiate wised up and whipped Ophelia out of the picture before she could flank him as was planned.

Nonetheless, the beast had left the opening Maul was hoping for and he hacked across the chest of the monster he was now facing. Claudiate roared in pain and for a brief moment, it seemed as though he would fall over in death's grip. However, instead of that, Claudiate's wound immediately recovered and left not even a scar where Maul had struck. Awestruck, Maul noticed too late that Claudiate had turned his whip back into a sword and had risen his blade to attack with Djem So's raw and untamed power.

Maul switched into a Soresu style but only long enough to then surprise Claudiate by switching back into Juyo. For a long time, it was Claudiate's enhanced experience against Maul's aggressive use of Form VII Juyo and no end was immediately in sight. Then Ophelia managed to somewhat stem the tide of battle by using her sonic scream to distract Claudiate and give Maul yet another opening. He took it and wounded his enemy despite it later regenerating and continued to fight as ferociously as he could.

Then something happened and a voice penetrated into his mind, trying to speak to him through the Force. Or maybe it was the Force itself trying to speak to him which was possible on this version of Heraklion. While still fighting Claudiate, he opened his mind enough to let it come through and speak. _Darth Maul, we are the Voice of the Force and we must tell you that there is only one way to defeat this beast that threatens both us and you _said the Force in multiple voices feminine, masculine, and hermaphrodite.

_What is it you want of me? I'm a cold-blooded killer who merely does the bidding of his Master back on my version of this reality _Maul asked. _Even so you are the only one strong enough to stop Claudiate from destroying all reality and there is only one way that can be done without his regenerative factor _the Force answered calmly. Maul asked what way that was and the Force told him to connect Claudiate's whip to the core, it would take care of him from there.


	19. FoP: Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

Maul called out to Ophelia, who was initially too busy taking the brunt of Claudiate's assault to hear him speaking. And when she finally could, she said that she was a little busy then asked what it was he wanted. "Lure him towards the Core, I've got a plan that should work if executed correctly but first you have to get past him and run with me to the Core!" he shouted. Ophelia did as instructed although it was very difficult initially but once she arrived, Maul told her everything even as they were dodging blows from the whip as well as the aftermath.

Once they arrive, Ophelia asked what he had in mind after making it this far. "You're going to mock him into missing us and hitting the Core with his whip," Maul said. In the distance, they could vaguely hear Claudiate curse and vow that he would destroy them. "All that power and you can't even destroy one Jedi and one Sith when you could've destroyed the entire Council by now," she mocked.

"A problem I need to rectify right now!" Claudiate shouted in reply. The plan worked and the whip was curling around Claudiate's back before initiating its attempt at a deadly hit on its targets. "Follow me when I jump over the whip that way it wraps around the Core, the Force is guiding me on this and its Voice told me that if we did it, we would take away Claudiate's regenerative ability. I'd like to believe we can take some of that tremendous power with it too although the Voice didn't mention that," Maul explained in a hushed whisper.

Ophelia did as commanded and stood her ground against the incoming assault from her former brother who now was transformed into a being that consisted of him merged with Darth Vitiate for most effect pain and destruction in the universe. However, her worry nearly heightened into panic when she saw that the whip had turned into a flexible blade meant to slice them upon contact. But it was right at the moment it was about to hit Maul that he jumped over it with ease and he commanded her to repeat his example in the same way. With not much other choice, she jumped and barely missed the whip as well as being sliced in half.

The whip wrapped around the Core and Maul used the Force to make a knot in it, preventing Claudiate from being able to use it again. Then as promised, the Force itself struck back at the attack on its Core and began sapping power from Claudiate as if being offered a dinner that it had waited millennia for. First, Maul and Ophelia could both sense the absence of the regenerative ability after a while but then they sensed something more profound. The Force began reclaiming the souls Claudiate had stolen from it and putting them back in their proper places or into the void where they could be of no further use to him.

After that was done, it also deprived him of his whip and sucked it back into the Core as well where it would be remade into Force energy. However, Maul sensed that though deprived of the extra energy, Claudiate was still powerful enough to kill them if they made one false move. Unfortunately, Ophelia made the first move and gave him no room to plan a course of action in the absence of Claudiate's former power. She made her initial charge a run of Ataru but both she and Maul were surprised to see Claudiate put up a shield around himself that was powerful enough to deflect lightsaber blows and small enough to wrap around his body.

Maul was able to immediately deduce that the element of surprise and getting close to him would be the only certain way to defeat him. According to his research as well as recovered hologram footage from the battles of Vitiate's Empire, the Emperor had never been faced with a double-sided lightsaber though he had seen it in action before. With that in addition to the fact that Claudius never even suspected Maul had a blade hidden on the other side of his lightsaber, Maul formed his plan. He was prepared to start an initial charge with Juyo but he was knocked down and his lightsaber thrown out of his hands before he could even initiate the first stages of his plan.

The impact of the blow (which he realized had been a powerful Force-push from Claudiate) was so powerful that he was momentarily phased out but very lucky to be conscious. Ophelia continued the fight alone and had switched to the use of Djem So after her charge of Ataru had failed. It was then that Maul noticed the physical damage done to himself and Ophelia during this entire duel. Maul himself was shirtless, bleeding out of his mouth and nose, scraped along the entirety of his left leg from when he had jumped over the whip, and one eye was swollen shut.

Ophelia looked and fought like she was even worse however. The entire left side of her shirt was ripped off, exposing a breast, the sleeve of the right side was gone along with the gloves for both sides, the area between her chest and waist was gone thanks to the earlier blow she absorbed from the whip, the entire right sleeve of her pants was gone, a gash ran across the thigh of her left, and both of her boots were missing thus leaving her barefoot. She too was bleeding out of her mouth and also had an eye swollen shut but on the opposite side of Maul's which was on his left. Claudiate's Force shield apparently took a toll on her with every stroke she struck in combination with the use of Djem So demanding physical strength she could not keep up for much longer.

Maul's only regret was that he was too stunned to help her and was forced to expend all of his energy into recovering from the blow. During that time, he watched something he never thought would happen as it happened. Ophelia became so exhausted she stopped fighting altogether just so she could keep standing. _No foolish girl, fight until your last ounce of energy is spent then rest _he begged in his clouded head.

Unfortunately, the thought had not been sent to her through the Force and she barely registered Maul's expression of helpless terror as he watched. _You can do nothing to help her for it is her destiny to die here and become one with us _the Voice said, intruding into his head again. Claudiate laughed at Ophelia's miserable status and didn't even bother physically wrenching her lightsaber from her. Calling it to his hand without effort, he then rammed the blade through Ophelia's abdomen, nearly finishing her right in that instant.

Maul was almost done healing and decided that when he was finished, he would pretend to remain incapacitated until he could surprise Claudiate then end him. It was right when he finished planning that Claudiate turned toward him with Ophelia's lightsaber in hand, preparing to strike the Sith Lord down. "You lose," Maul said with a wicked smile. "Hardly, look around you," Claudiate said.

Then Maul heard something surprising: instead of continuing to speak with both voices, Claudiate first spoke in Darth Vitiate's ominous voice then in Claudius' malicious tone. "In spite of your courageous and admirable efforts, you and your Jedi friend have merely inconvenienced me, traitor!" Vitiate said. "However, I'm still human enough to enjoy taking my revenge in the oldest fashion: clean, quick, and by a lightsaber," Claudius added. Then both spoke simultaneously again: "Looks like we were right in our theories all along: kill you then proceed to the rest of reality as planned."

_Now is the time to unleash your true power upon your enemy, now is the time you strike against Claudiate and allow us to absorb Darth Vitiate back into us _the Voice demanded desperately. Maul didn't need the Voice in his head to know that was true and called his lightsaber to him right before Claudiate could slice him cleanly in two. "Oh, so you do still have a little fighting power left within you, considering your use of Juyo this should be interesting," Claudiate stated. "Oh no, I'm not going to continue my use of Juyo or even try to use Jar'Kai," Maul replied.

Before Claudiate could ask what he meant, Darth Maul turned his blade a hundred and eighty degrees then ignited the second crimson blade. "You're going to fight me… with that style?" Claudiate asked, fear rapidly mounting in the fusion's pathetic heart. "You've never had to battle against _this_, have you?" Maul asked. "I've observed people who wielded it beautifully but I never had to pit myself in battle against one of them!" Vitiate shouted.

Smiling, Maul called upon the energies of the Force as well as all his efficiency with the double-sided lightsaber in this final struggle for the fate of all reality. What he was already noticing was that Claudiate (in both halves) was more proficient with Jar'Kai than the whip and with the whip more than a traditional lightsaber. Their use of Makashi temporarily had Maul questioning whether he stood a chance but he adjusted to the formal style rapidly then resumed his attack. He was drawing Claudiate closer and closer to the Core as had been part of his plan and as he did so, Claudiate's desperation to survive increased faster than Maul had hoped which made him even more enthusiastic.

Then Claudiate made the error Maul was waiting for after many slashes across his chest, back, legs, and arms. Claudiate attempted to hack down at him in a sloppy form of Djem So to no avail. Darth Maul spared him no moment of mercy when he slashed him with both blades across the back then brought one side back down to stab all the way through his back and abdominal area. At first, time seemed to have frozen in its tracks then the Core revived in very much the same way it had when it had snagged Claudius' whip and extra power from them, though surprising Maul just as much as the first time had.

When it did come alive, hands made from the energies of the Force used the hole created by Maul's blow to plunge in and separate the souls of Darth Vitiate and Claudius. The effort was surprisingly painstaking but the Force managed to separate them but at a cost Maul would later be informed of. Claudius was spared and returned almost back to normal, Maul sensed no Force power in him but didn't want to take any chances. Unfortunately, the price he paid was partly confirmed when he screamed that he couldn't see a thing.

In return for having sought the greatest power that the Dark Side offered with little training and experience in how to control the Force, Claudius had been blinded. Then the Voice returned a final time to explain more about the price he had paid for his actions against all reality. _Not only is he blind and stripped of his power but he is also cursed to never die until he had served at least two hundred years doing good to the rest of the galaxy to make up for his cruelties as well as the murder of his sister. However, you have a brighter destiny and in return for having saved the universe we can grant you three wishes so long as not one concerns your future from here _the Voice explained. _First wish then: I wish for Claudius to be bound to a wrapping (with his arms across his chest) that is so strong that he can never hope to break free of it for twenty years and only opens enough for him to relieve himself when he needs to _Maul said.

_Would you like it to be sentient enough to know when he actually needs to relieve himself as part of your first wish? _the Voice asked. Maul said he did and the Voice's power immediately crossed Claudius' arm and wrapped him in a brownish-gold casing that was strong and flexible enough for him to move very minimally. _Your next wish _the Voice said. _To have Ophelia's lightsaber brought unto the steps of the Jedi Temple with a note leaving details of me out but explaining the mission and willing the lightsaber to any Padawan or Master that needs a new lightsaber _Maul requested.

When the Voice requested his final wish, Maul made it a very good one. _To return home with Claudius in tow, I will figure out how to get him into the authorities without revealing myself more than necessary _he said. The Voice chose to grant those wishes but before it did so, it thanked him and told him that Ophelia's soul would be used to heal it from the damage Claudius did on Heraklion Prime now that the body had been destroyed by its orange fires of cremation. It came as no surprise to Darth Maul when he realized that this was the last time he was going to see Heraklion Prime and possibly any trace of Ophelia that wasn't connected to the Force.

He was just glad that the journey was over and he had Claudius to take back with him as he had promised himself early on in the mission. "You did well Maul, you freed me when my sister could not even persuade me and I couldn't control myself," Claudius said. Maul corrected him to add _Darth _before his name and thanked him for the unnecessary compliment.


	20. FoP: Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

"You had all that power and yet you were defeated by a lesser being than yourself?" an inmate asked, shocked. "I was a desperate man who tried to use the Force to become a god when I was nothing compared to those I was fighting in combat. Now, I have paid the price at the loss of my sight and a temporary lack of mobility as you can see for yourself," Claudius replied. "What a stinking rip if you ask me!" the gruff man shouted loudly.

Claudius chuckled as this man who had become his caretaker fell asleep to end another night in Coruscant's maximum security prison guarded by elite security troops. And as he lied down in his flexible but unbreakable prison, he had to admit that to some extent, his caretaker was right about that. Undoubtedly, Claudius had brought it upon himself by doing what he had done but it was still a "rip" as his cellmate said it being. Still, he had to wonder if he could have done something to stop the manipulations of Darth Vitiate from making him do what he had done.

He wondered if by somehow resisting Vitiate from the first time the Sith Emperor's spirit had entered his body, this would never have happened to him. _What could have been and what was no longer matter nor would they make a difference even if they did _Claudius mentally reminded himself. Having been slowly manipulated into a consuming but alterable path to madness, Claudius allowed himself to forget that in spite of the manner in which his past deeds were achieved, he was hailed as a hero by many. He ended centuries of war without any military might despite having to see to the death of his father and grandfather in order to complete it.

And it was he who was sister to a prominent young woman who had become a martyr amongst Jedi and commoners alike. Her lightsaber eventually found its way into the hands of a young Human Padawan named Obi-wan Kenobi who used it while in service to Master Qui-Gon Jinn, a revered Jedi Master but known maverick to its archaic ways. Claudius had met Qui-Gon once or twice and both times had been in the company of a young man named Xanatos who he heard had killed himself while fighting Qui-Gon and Obi-wan on his wealthy homeworld. It was a shame the boy met such an untimely demise because, if he had known, Claudius would have given thoughts to hiring him as his Dark Jedi assassin in place of the one that Odette had killed.

Unable to sleep, his caretaker awoke and asked him why he thought the way he did about the fight between himself, his sister, and the dark warrior that had traveled with her in her efforts to stop him. "Darth Vitiate was a thousand years old at the time he launched his war efforts against the Old Republic to avenge Naga Sadow's defeat in the Great Hyperspace War. During that time, he learned many talents including the art of subtle Force manipulation that only two have been known to resist: Darth Revan and Darth Malak. I don't need to get into their history but the point is, his manipulation is so powerful in that its takeover of a person can be completed in days or years depending on what Vitiate wanted of someone. Living on the darkness of Malachor V after fruitless quests that began with his departure from the Empire he himself created in the image of Naga Sadow.

"Though he was immortal, he was not omnipotent and thus would be forced to draw upon the Dark Side on a planet with a significant affiliation with it until he found the more permanent solution to his problem: a fresh body to transfer his very essence into. Using the same essence transfer ceremony that Darth Bane is said to have attempted, he tried to dominate my will entirely when I encountered him and accidentally shot him during my studies in Malachor. At first, I thought he had failed to dominate my mind and destroy my spirit but now I realize what had really happened. First, he had manipulated me into the belief that he had failed then slowly poisoned my mind into the state it became before I landed in this uncouth place.

"I sought power, I sought the immortality he had already achieved, and I paid the price for failure. Now I am cursed to live at least two centuries unless the Force deems I have paid it before that. I am content to do its bidding for as I learned the hard way, no one can defy the awesome power of the Force without inevitably paying a hefty price. But personally, if I ever meet that dark warrior again I hope he will come to kill me for what I did to both of us by robbing my sister of this universe forever," he explained.

His oratory had helped the younger man to sleep better but Claudius was still restless as he had learned to be in the two weeks since his failure at the dimension he dubbed Heraklion Prime. What he hadn't told his caretaker was that in spite of being a Sith Lord, Claudius hoped that young man would make his best efforts to prevent anyone from making the same mistake Claudius had done and perhaps suffering a much worse fate. He hoped that the man's love for Ophelia would fuel his resolve to see to both things before he became one with the Force as well. After all, Claudius had extinguished what his people had called a Flame of Passion in the man, a connection fueled by a specific feeling (or feelings) between a man and a woman and made each willing to die for one or the other as Maul would have done for Ophelia and as Ophelia had done for him as well as the universe.

Now that Ophelia was robbed of them both, the warrior would have only one Flame of Passion if any left: the thrill of the hunt. The promise of killing a skilled warrior quickly or slowly would replace the flame that once burned brightly because of Ophelia. Though willing to live this fate that was worse than death without her, Claudius sincerely hoped the young man would think of him as a loose end or just something to destroy and would kill him in revenge. After all, it's what he had told his brother to be prepared for in his recent communication with him (or else be prepared for the warrior's arrival to Nyx as he added during that last communication).

All this had put a smile on Claudius' face and due to the content in accepting immortality if death was no option, he fell asleep peacefully. The smile lasted for several minutes after his eyes had closed then faded as slowly as it had appeared now that the dreams were beginning. With Laertes aware of the young man's existence, the dreams varied from certain deeds in his past (especially his most recent) to visions of possible futures that would occur. As Claudius awaited whatever end the future offered him, he knew he would be content no matter what happened to him now.

For as the Jedi were fond of saying, whatever happened was the will of the Force. He finally understood the meaning of their Codex which decreed there was no emotion, no ignorance, and no anger. If he had anything good to thank Lord Vitiate for, it was a better understanding of the Jedi Code. And despite the Sith Lord's attempts to break him, this actually made him stronger than he could possibly been before his travels through the dimensions of the universe began.

** Ophelia's death had not** sat well with Darth Maul in spite of having defeated her brother and cast the soul of Darth Vitiate into the void of Oblivion. Undoubtedly, the death of a four thousand year old Sith Lord had brought an increased respect for his skill in his Master. It also brought some attention from Sidious' own mentor, Darth Plagueis. "He has been trained well indeed, are you sure he can continue serving us despite the anger that goes unchecked in him for the death of the Jedi he had come to love?" the Muun had asked.

"Contrary to what you believe, it will make him serve our cause to destroy the Jedi even better. With nothing to hold him back, he will become a weapon of pure, raw emotion that neither Padawan nor Master can possibly stand against. When not in use, he will be contained but when needed he will be unleashed like a storm long overdue to begin," Sidious answered. And Maul knew he was right in spite of initial disagreements with his Master because with Ophelia dead, Maul now had a personal reason to hate the Jedi.

Before this mission that had tested his resolve and spirit, he had had the same reasons his Master and Plagueis for hating the Jedi and that had been the fall of the Sith a thousand years ago. But now, he had a passion for it that grew like a burning that grew stronger as it was fed more wood and dry tinder. A Flame of Passion as Ophelia's people had called it was fueling Maul's resolve to avenge her inability to love him by destroying the hated Jedi. His spirit may have been broken but let it be rebuilt so that it was only for destroying the Jedi and destroy them he would when his Master said so.

With a newfound respect for him, Plagueis watched Maul as he demolished the training droids around him then turned to whisper to Lord Sidious. Maul didn't care for what the old man obsessed with immortality had to say to Master unless it concerned the Draco family. Until then, Plagueis and his recitations could kiss Maul's ass for all he cared. Avenging Ophelia, himself, his master, and the entire Sith dynasty was all that mattered now; and all three Dark Lords knew that Maul would not have wanted it any other way for then life would no longer be interesting enough to live.


	21. FoP: Epilogue

Epilogue

Another week had passed since Maul's hunt for Doctor Claudius Draco and now Sidious knew for certain that he had something he could use. His apprentice would be needing to resolve this personal affair and Sidious would be needing him distracted while he and Plagueis began the final stages of their Grand Plan. Smiling, he had summoned his apprentice in spite of Maul's newfound shortness in his normally controlled temper. "You summoned me, my Master," Maul said, more of a statement than a question but having some of the nature nonetheless.

"Yes, being aware of your personal predicament, I have stumbled upon something I may need you to do if not two things. First, I need you to go to Ophelia's homeworld and keep King Laertes (her oldest brother) alive as he has been attacked by local rebels recently. His incompetence makes him easy to manipulate through the Force and since his system is experiencing a crisis, manipulating him may fit with our ultimate goal. Secondly, _while _protecting Laertes if possible, I would like you to confirm a rumor that if true may not sit well with our Plan," Sidious answered.

"If it is a mere rumor, I should get to the bottom of it in no time, Master," Maul said. With zealous enthusiasm, Sidious assured his apprentice that it was no mere rumor. "Rumor has it that Coriolanus Draco, Laertes' father and predecessor, may still be alive. Not only that, but it is also believed that he has some affiliation with the rebels.

"Knowing what you told me about Coriolanus' supposed death alongside his father Fortinbras as well as your predicament, I thought this may interest you," he added with a twisted and malicious grin on his face. "I will go to the Nyx system and to planet Erebus from there. I will find out the truth of this rumor and protect him. My only question is for how long," Maul replied. "Until I tell you to kill him or simply to leave him," Sidious said.

Maul vowed it would be done and Sidious assured him that he had faith in his ability to accomplish this small mission after traversing many dimensions and fought a Sith Lord who had the power of thousands at his command. Then he gave his apprentice an additional but interesting detail to attend to during his mission and it was to be done before he even left Coruscant. "For the best possible success in this new mission, pay Claudius a visit and ask him if it may be possible that his father is still alive. Take any and all information he gives you to heart as you go about completing this extra detail of the mission but do not assume that he is telling the truth should he say no," Sidious ordered his young apprentice.

"It will all be done Master though I may despise the thought of seeing Claudius again," he replied. "I will make the proper arrangements and see to it that your meeting is immediately underway. Besides that, may the Force be with you on this new assignment that now has come with a personal touch on you," Sidious told him with another smile. Quickly, Maul boarded his Infiltrator _Scimitar _and was on his way to once again do his Master's bidding after only three weeks of rest from his last mission; but this time, Maul would be prepared for anything.


	22. SW: DM: ToB: Prologue

Star Wars

Darth Maul

Trail of Blood

By

Christopher Cleveland

Prologue

Maul's Sith Infiltrator landed in its regular hangar while he went to take a cab to Coruscant's maximum security prison. Just the day before, his Master had given him a new mission: to go to the Nyx system and planet Erebus, home of his former love the late Jedi Knight Ophelia. There, he was to protect her eldest brother Laertes from rebels that threatened his life daily while simultaneously investigating the truth behind rumors that Laertes and Ophelia's father Coriolanus was still alive. But first, he had to make a visit to an old foe: Laertes' younger brother Claudius who had been responsible for his young sister Ophelia's death, nearly four weeks before.

Though he detested the man, Sidious insisted that he seek Claudius out for information about Coriolanus in hoping to have a start on the rumor's truth. Bracing himself for any possible outcome of this visit, he stepped out of the cab that had taken him from his shuttle and arrived to the prison of Claudius' subjugation to Republic law. Once his false identification card was shown, the guards gave him a prisoner to escort him through the bowels of their prison as the guards wanted nothing to do with Claudius as well as heeding the Chancellor's orders for his sentence. Maul would not have wanted it any other way especially considering that facing the man who killed the only woman who could ever have loved him was personal.

Using a hovercraft, the escort lowered them into the depths of the prison to a dark place where Maul found him surprised at the number of people who did not manage to keep their sanity in check. He began to wonder if he had given Claudius the worst reason to go insane of the whole lot or if he had just done what was necessary to save all reality from the plans the scientist and the spirit of the ancient Sith Lord Darth Vitiate had created. Claudius had done the worst of all deeds when he made his attack on the Core of reality itself but Maul had to wonder if his mental resolve was a lot stronger than he had originally guessed. Initially, Claudius had been scared due to the loss of his sight as a price for his attack but he was calmed down by the time the judge sentenced him to life in this infernal prison.

"Here we are," the caretaker said, interjecting on Maul's deep contemplation. The cell's ray shield was turned off and Maul stepped in first. Maul had to admit he was somewhat disappointed what he saw before him but quickly dissolved it when Claudius ordered the caretaker to wait outside the cell and reactivated the shield containing them both. "Your mind is still intact even if your physical body is weakening with each day spent in that prison, impressive," Maul said, admitting his deepest surprise. "My crime hardened my resolve and I had time to think over what I had done rather than go mad in the belief I had done what was right as I did before," Claudius replied. Maul smiled and Claudius asked if he had come to kill him as he hoped. "Sorry to disappoint us both but I have not come to end your life, I've come for information on your father," Maul explained, holding his vengeance in check for now.


	23. ToB: Chapter 1

Chapter One

In the darkness shrouding his ability to see with his eyes, Claudius had learned to see with his ears instead. And that distinct voice that hid a bloodlust beneath it could only have meant one thing: the dark warrior that had defeated him four weeks before he returned. He had prayed for many a night that the dark warrior would return and end his life only to be disappointed when the Zabrak said he would not. However, Claudius did find his alternate request to have been rather interesting.

"A rumor circulates as to the survival of my father? Interesting that nothing of him has surfaced since my plot was completed until now," Claudius asked. "I agree, especially considering that Ophelia said you trapped him and your grandfather in a tower that was closed off by impenetrable ray shields," answered the dark warrior. "Before I continue young man, may I request your name as you are the one who defeated me and sentenced me to this infernal prison?" Claudius asked calmly.

"My name is Maul, you need know no more than that nor would I give you more anyway," the warrior answered, somewhat amused by his curiosity. "Very well Maul, I will tell you what I do know of my father. First, if he did survive I would only be mildly surprised because once, when I was a little boy, he went out on a diplomatic expedition that ended with the temple that served as the rendezvous falling down on him. Everyone else perished but not he, he remained alive for weeks by drinking the water from the rains that came and eating any rodents he caught in spite of being immobilized by the rubble.

"When we found him, it was phenomenal that he was still alive even considering that several tons had landed on his lungs but were cushioned by his armor. If he found a way out of the tower before the self-destruct system could take him out, I would be impressed but not surprised. Because if he did survive, it could only mean one thing: his persistence combined with his possible desire to take revenge against me and Laertes allowed him to live whatever extremities I put him through before he vanished. Only problem is why he chose not to reveal himself after about one or two years when he was still being mourned (and Ophelia would have been eight or nine with me being fifteen or sixteen) but instead waiting nearly a decade after his 'demise' at my hands," Claudius explained.

"I find it highly irrational and impossible myself but my Master wants to make sure there are no threats to his plans for a goal that, after seeing all reality with you, seems shortsighted to me," Maul agreed. "Then why serve him? Why not betray him or else make him understand the futility in his goals?" Claudius asked. "I don't know yet though he has made me wish only to kill him," Maul admitted.

Then he added that perhaps it was because he had yet to learn everything from his master that he needed to know about the ways of the Sith. "Seems to me that you need a better reason for not leaving him but I will not question your curiosities," Claudius said. "Thank you, it would seem you remember that I am your superior as a result of defeating you on Heraklion Prime," Maul replied calmly. "Your time to see me regardless is appreciated but before you leave, I must have you promise me one thing," Claudius demanded.

Maul seemed reluctant to Claudius in spite of the latter being blind but obeyed his request. "You must vow to me that the next time we meet, you will kill me. The honor of my family and our enmity as well as my failure to carry out my plans by your hand demands you kill me," Claudius said. There was a moment of silence after that as Maul seemingly pondered the request.

Both men knew Claudius deserved it and both knew that Maul wanted more than anything to strike Claudius down in cold-blooded revenge. "Only if you tell me why you asked why I have not betrayed or left my Master yet," Maul answered after that short moment. "You have heard of Darth Bane's Rule of Two, have you not?" Claudius asked. Maul admitted Sidious had not taught him about Bane and that came as a shock to Claudius with Maul being apprentice to a Sith Lord.

"A thousand years ago, when Darth Bane was a young man, the Sith numbered in the legion known as the Brotherhood of Darkness like their Jedi enemies. Bane was initially an obedient acolyte but as time passed, he noticed that the Dark Side's power invited betrayal and rivalry thus making it inevitable, axiomatic if you will that the Brotherhood would turn on itself. So he helped it along when the Eight Battles of Ruusan occurred. After an endless search for knowledge, Bane found what he needed in a Holocron of Darth Revan that he destroyed when it was no longer of use to his ambition. Using what he learned and other items of the Dark Side that he found, Bane tricked the Brotherhood's leader, Kaan, into unleashing the thought bomb which was a weapon that burned up the physical bodies in its path and consumed their souls into oblivion so long as they had a connection to the Force.

"After destroying the Brotherhood, Bane created the Rule of Two. You can learn more about it later but the part that you should keep in mind begins with the Rule's verdict that there be one Master and one Apprentice at a time. The Master will teach the apprentice everything he knows despite knowing one thing: that in time, the apprentice will challenge the Master for the mantle of Dark Lord of the Sith. Should the Master wins, he or she will keep their title a little longer but should the apprentice win, the Master shall die and their apprentice shall replace them only to share the same fate at the hands of their own apprentice," Claudius explained.

Maul took this new information in and stored it for later, knowing it may prove useful in the future. Now he realized that while he and Claudius may be foes, Claudius had information that he might need in this and other missions. "Thank you for that explanation and know this: I will contact you via hologram should I need information in the future about anything. Only if I meet you again like _this_ will I grant your death wish," he promised.

He added that this was his only offer or else he would not do as promised even with the information. "You are wise as you are powerful Maul, I accept these terms of our little oath. In hologram conversations will I be safe but the same will not be said should we meet again in the flesh," Claudius said, impressed enough to smile at Maul's cunning. "And one more thing: should it occur that we meet in the flesh again, I _don't _want to kill you while you are helpless," Maul said.

Now Claudius chuckled, genuinely impressed by this killer's control over the instincts of his dark psyche. "You can count on it, Darth Maul," he replied enthusiastically. Though he couldn't see, he sensed Maul smile back at him before he rose from the chair he had borrowed and turned to leave. Claudius had indeed learned his lesson from Maul defeating him but it was not Maul he was interested in destroying.

Instead, he was interested in finding someone that might have been a catalyst for Ophelia accepting the mission besides himself, Mace Windu, and Yoda. Someone he used to hear lots about who like her was a Padawan though he wasn't certain of his present status in the Order. He only knew the boy's last name but it was enough as there was only one line in the galaxy that bore that name. The boy was called "Kenobi" and Claudius remembered a Padawan named Obi-wan who bore that name _and _was being trained by Master Qui-Gon Jinn. He was hoping that someday, he could use Maul's hatred of him to lure either Jinn or Kenobi into his trap and take revenge for their success in foiling his early attempts at the dimensional manipulator that had taken him to his defeat against Darth Maul; all that remained was a matter of sitting and waiting for now.

Just as Maul was leaving, he called for him to stop and allow one more message to make its way into his evil head. "There is a man who used to be my competitor before we met and has envied my brilliance. His public name is Ozymandias but his real name is Douglas Vectivus Slade and for years, he has been trying to steal my technology. With my failure known, he may try to recover my files at our version of Heraklion," he said.

Maul already knew what Claudius wanted him to do: destroy the files as well as anyone who had access to them if necessary. "It will be done both quickly and painlessly besides, another scientist who has no connection to the Force shouldn't be a problem for someone like me," he said. "Kill him if you can, you know the dangerous risks we'd be taking to let him recover my notes and use them for his own shortsighted schemes," Claudius said. Maul could not have agreed more and made sure to have a mental note to go back to Heraklion as soon as he returned to his ship, _Scimitar_.

Claudius was right on one thing: anything that could help Ozymandias in his little quest to better Claudius using technology the latter invented for dimensional manipulation had to be destroyed. His only hope was that he was not already too late to stop the younger fool from making an even worse mistake than Claudius'. Plus he always wondered what it would be like to kill what normal people called an egghead anyway. It would certainly compensate for Claudius' usefulness preventing his demise for right now.

** "Master Qui-Gon, it is good** to see you again old friend. Surely you could spare me a few words before you go off on yet another mission," said an old Jedi Master to his friend. "Master Othone, it is always gaze upon your face as it reminds me of our old days together," Qui-Gon replied with much enthusiasm in his voice. "And Obi-wan Kenobi I presume, Qui-Gon has spoken highly of your talents," Darius Othone said to the young man accompanying his friend.

"And my Master has not left out much he knows about you honorable, Master Othone," Kenobi replied as he bowed in respect. "Please, no formalities with me young man. As much as Masters Windu and Yoda love their due respect, I find the formalities expressing that respect absolutely pointless," Othone said. "It's part of why, as I am now, he's been at odds with the Council for as long as I can remember," Qui-Gon added.

"Forgive me Master," Obi-wan begged honestly. "And don't apologize when you've done nothing wrong either. Makes my skin crawl sometimes," Othone ordered. Qui-Gon laughed, loving the way his old friend played around with his Padawan as it reminded him much of how Othone used to do the same to him.

"Don't fret Obi-wan, it's his way of playing around with Jedi protocol. And Master Othone, don't you have a new assignment to be going on?" Qui-Gon asked teasingly. "As a matter of fact, I do. I'm to go with Doctor Ozymandias to Heraklion and recover the notes of his rival Claudius Draco for Ozymandias' own studies," Othone answered.

"With all due respect but isn't it dangerous to hand the notes of one scientist over to another? Especially considering that Claudius succeeded in learning how to travel between dimensions and Ozymandias was a rival before Claudius was arrested," Obi-wan asked. Othone chuckled and stated that he admired Obi-wan's way of thinking. "You are right Kenobi but the Council ordered this and while I may disagree and have even voiced the same arguments, they insisted that my presence was necessary in letting Ozymandias take Claudius' work from him," Othone added.

"May the Force be with you old friend. I've heard rumors that a warrior unaffiliated with our Order helped Ophelia stop her brother despite the fact that she died fighting him at Heraklion Prime," Qui-Gon said. "If there is any truth to those rumors, or if he just wants to stop us from making the transition, we will find out," Othone replied. "When are you due to meet Ozymandias at our version of Heraklion?" Qui-Gon asked. "As soon as he signals that he has found the laboratory and wishes me to arrive on a prepaid cruiser," Othone said. "May the Force be with you then," Qui-Gon said with a final bow. His Padawan followed his example and Othone returned the respect to his old friend and the young man in his company.


	24. ToB: Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Maul knew that he needed to find the secret entrance to Claudius' old laboratory quickly. If Ozymandias had already opened the door, it wouldn't be long before security protocols were taken and the droids attacked his Republic escort. The reduced number in the escort would be perfect for Maul to finish them off then destroy Claudius' files before their Jedi ally was due to arrive on Heraklion. Parking his ship as close to the hut that disguised the lab as possible, Maul had then run on foot to the little hut and when he arrived he saw that it had already been broken into by Ozymandias and his men.

There was no doubt in Maul's mind that beneath the ground would lead him to a war zone on a miniature scale. However, it was enough that his security force had been reduced for Maul to pick the rest off. Arriving at the end of the long spiral he and Ophelia had treaded weeks before, Maul saw scattered droids parts and decomposing corpses lying around the once-pristine laboratory. Voices led Maul to the working area as well as Claudius' living quarters and he knew immediately who the voices belonged to once he saw a man wearing the robes of the wealthy and the rest wore the garbs of Republic security guards.

"What do you mean the download is incomplete?" Ozymandias demanded. His voice sounded rather feminine for a human male scientist. _No wonder why he envied Claudius: Claudius had both scientific genius and masculinity. Ozymandias has just the former of the two items _Maul thought to himself.

Regardless of Ozymandias' lack of masculinity in both voice and build, Maul stepped out and ignited one end of his double-sided lightsaber. Letting the red blade glow and hum for a moment, Maul waited until Ozymandias and the thirteen security guards surrounding him had all turned around. "Who are you? You certainly aren't Darius Othone, the Jedi coming to supervise my reception of Claudius' old notes," asked Maul's weak target.

"You're right, I'm not Othone but neither am I a Jedi Knight. Instead, I am the dark warrior that aided his sister in his capture and I have come to kill you, your guards, and destroy everything in this room," Maul answered. Ozymandias told his guards to attack after hearing that threat and Maul immediately had thirteen electrostaffs to worry about from the guards. But he scoffed at this and attacked with the full might of Form VII Juyo, slicing off arms, legs, heads, and other body parts in different directions with no effort.

In the blink of an eye, only Ozymandias stood alive with a small pistol in his hand but Maul would soon change that too. The scientist fired a few shots at his enemy before realizing the futility in attacking Maul with such a weapon as what he had. "I'm begging you, don't kill me! You can take my money, you can have your way with my women, do whatever else you want just don't kill me please!" Ozymandias begged.

"I won't take your riches, I won't take your women, but I _will _take your life. Because those who beg for mercy do not deserve it," Maul replied before slicing the foolish man in two. The stroke was quick and left no pain in Ozymandias, who deserved the pain possible for his cowardly attempts to bribe Maul with material goods such as money and women. Then he turned his attention to the computers that were linked to Ozymandias' copy machines and began hacking randomly, destroying everything in his path and activating the self-destruct protocol just to be sure he destroyed all of it.

** The moment Othone heard** Ozymandias say he had arrived to Heraklion, he ran to the fastest ship he could find and demanded that it take him to Heraklion immediately. He knew that if they hadn't already done so, it would only be a matter of time before they ran into the security systems Claudius had designed to attack any and all intruders who interrupted his work without his permission. And Othone knew he would need to be there to help them through if they had not hastily attempted to go at it alone. His only hope was that his fears about Ozymandias' infamously high amount of material wealth didn't blind him to the dangers below Claudius' disguise of a hut that hid him and his work without raising suspicion.

He arrived within two or three days of his hasty departure from Coruscant and welcomed the primitive village surrounded by open plains as a change from Coruscant's worldwide jungle of metal, concrete, and electricity. After all, he was born in a settlement like the one he arrived at on Heraklion more than seventy years ago on Dantooine. The farmer community reminded him much of home until he saw the people and how they suffered from malnutrition when they had to go months without regular imports and few exports. Unfortunately, it also reminded him of why his father had sent him to the Jedi away from all he knew from his seven siblings to the cool summer breezes that would stroke his young hair and skin, tickling him as it went about this.

For the sake of these people and himself, he wanted to rendezvous with Ozymandias, retrieve Claudius' files, and leave Heraklion. Besides just wanting to get this small detail over with, he also wanted to find a way he could help these people and get leave from the Council to do that until they could fend for themselves adequately. "Excuse me, I'm looking for Doctor Ozymandias and his security crew. Have any of you seen him or any of his crew recently?" Othone asked politely.

"If you mean that fag in robes with the Republic guards, he went down into that hut a few days ago and hasn't come back out," a local answered blatantly. "Thank you good sir for that direct tip," Othone replied, making sure to remain as calm and polite as possible. Besides, he did admit that he himself thought of Ozymandias as queer due to his robes and somewhat feminine voice. He secretly chuckled at the local man's willingness to admit his own thought once he was out of their sight.

In his seventy-four years alive, he had seen many strange things but if anything came close to topping them off, it was definitely Ozymandias. He thought about this then came upon a sight he had hoped he would never behold. The hut's door had been broken into due to the keypad being destroyed and he knew it could mean only one thing. Ozymandias had chosen not to wait for his arrival and proceed to break into the hut, triggering all of Claudius' security systems almost simultaneously.

Igniting his lightsaber and letting the purple blade glow and hum, he slowly descended down the stairs leading to Claudius' underground lair of malevolence. It didn't take long for him to see the first signs of battle with the security systems as the stairs had once had powerful wall lasers that were now deactivated and/or destroyed by the Republic guards. After traveling down the stairs, he opened up to a chamber full of scattered corpses and droid parts, undoubtedly the casualties of a skirmish with Claudius' second and final layer of defense against intruders. After this, he called out to Ozymandias, hoping that the fool had somehow survived all this just so he could scold him for his arrogance personally.

The first two bits of the bad news came to him as soon as he entered Claudius' working quarters that were joined by his bathroom and bedroom for easy access. That bit was Ozymandias and the remaining guards were also dead which led to the second bit of bad news. The second bit was that their wounds told of deaths caused not by blaster bolts from droids or lasers on the wall but something else. A closer look gave away the cauterized marks of a lightsaber and he knew immediately what could have caused this as well as the destruction of Claudius' computers with the files still inside of them.

Problem was, there were too many Dark Jedi to nail it one suspect but he began to wonder if it really was a Dark Jedi. An even closer look showed that this was not the usual sloppy work of a Dark Jedi but the tactical maneuvers of something even worse. For a long time, Othone had sensed a rising darkness and suspected what it could be: the return of the Sith to this galaxy. Was it possible that after his thirty years of mere speculation that the Force had at last provided him with a clue as to whether or not they existed and were rising once more?

** "So all the data has** been destroyed then?" Claudius asked curiously. "Everything I could hack my lightsaber was not spared from my wrath. I am now en route to Erebus to officially begin my mission," Maul answered. "Then may the Force be with you, my old foe or is it safe to call you a friend now?" Claudius teased which Maul answered with a shrug.

Claudius' hologram fizzled out of existence and Maul continued his route to the home of both Claudius and his sister, the woman Maul had come to love only to lose her at the hands of Claudiate. Claudiate, the combination between Claudius and the ancient Sith Lord Darth Vitiate created from the fusion of their souls enhanced by the power of Heraklion Prime. It was that enemy Maul had faced and defeated that he hated much more than either Claudius or Vitiate individually for what they had done as Claudiate. Immediately, he suppressed the memory of how he had helplessly watched as Claudiate gutted the woman he loved with her lightsaber.

Erebus was almost in sight Maul decided to take _Scimitar _out of hyperspace early enough to activate his cloak of invisibility and get around the primitive but effective security blockade surrounding Erebus. According to Sidious' instructions, he was to infiltrate Laertes' castle in the capital city of Helene and watch for any who might take Laertes' life during his summit to the HoloNet news and Chancellor Valorum back on Coruscant. It didn't take long for Maul to position himself in a place easy to go in and out of in a hurry nor long to sense the rebels as well as their hidden locations. All he needed to do now was wait until they sprung into the open and made a move for the King of Erebus himself.

And fortunately, that didn't take long as fourteen rebels sprung from nowhere before he could begin his speech and attacked him. They quickly dispatched his security escort with their spears and proceeded to kill him with their swords. Maul admired their courage but knew it was not going to save them from his wrath. He jumped down from the balcony he stood on and ignited both ends of his lightsaber then uttering a chilling battle cry that sapped the courage out of eight of them and sent them screaming like girls as he slaughtered the remaining six soldiers.

Sad thing was that these rebels were so lacking in actual sword skills that they were barely even worth a quick death but had been given one nonetheless. One or two were sliced in half, one was decapitated, and the rest were hacked to bits by both blood-red blades that glowed, hummed, and zoomed, slicing the air as well as helpless people. Laertes watched in horror as Maul mutilated the rebels in front of him and dared not say a thing for fear that Maul would turn on him also. Maul turned toward him and the King shook with fright, fearing for his life but Maul assured him that his purpose was to protect Laertes, not kill him.

"However, I must regretfully inform you that I must remain anonymous during the time that these rebels are active. It's for the sake of investigating their origins and understanding why they continuously attack you," Maul explained. "Thank you young man for saving my life, I will always be in your debt for your actions," Laertes replied. Then Maul was on his way to begin the investigation of the rumors of Coriolanus' survival.

** "Place him across my** operation table immediately, this one's going to prove useful," said the devious doctor with the smile and trench coat. Two of his assistants immediately brought his subject, who was frozen in carbonite, on the stretcher he had come with. The subject was number CC1987064535 otherwise known as the former king Coriolanus Draco of planet Erebus. Smiling, he ordered Coriolanus unfrozen and the prostheses he had for him ready simultaneously.

He had found Coriolanus on the verge of death and had had to bring it up to where he could sustain preservation in the carbonite without dying. After that he, Doctor Archimedes, had kept Coriolanus alive in case he or anyone else may need Coriolanus' skills one day. Now was the time, especially now that he knew a dark warrior wielding a double-sided lightsaber was protecting the current King, Laertes. Coriolanus was in need of severe bodily repair as he had been when Archimedes found him not too far from the Palace that Claudius had destroyed when he successfully finished his plans to bring peace to planet Erebus.

Working quickly right after Coriolanus was thawed out, he attached the prosthetic left arm which would go to the full length of his arm, a right arm that would just cover barely above the elbow, and an apparatus to replace everything below his pelvis in a sequence that was both familiar and quick for him. He also applied his specialty treat to Coriolanus' right eye which had been long gouged out of him during combat he had conducted during his youthful years. It would not only aid his sight tremendously but would also allow him to watch as the events he planned transpired without linking himself to Laertes' father and predecessor. Now he brought Coriolanus back to life after years of having been nearly dead at the hands of the son who had betrayed him and his kingdom.

After doing so, he tested his subject for any sign of sentience besides what he provided. "Do you know who you are?" he asked. "I know I am Coriolanus Draco, former King of Nyx and presently an outcast thanks to my sons, that despicable Claudius and the cowardly Laertes. And I know you were the one who brought me back to life after years of being nearly dead thanks to the explosion that destroyed my palace as well as the entire city neighboring it," Coriolanus answered.

_Good, precisely what I wanted you to give me in response to that question _Archimedes said to himself. Smiling, Archimedes continued with his examination as to the entirety of his control over Coriolanus' damaged mind. "You are in luck Coriolanus, I have made an arrangement with Laertes to accept a bodyguard with the attack of the rebels increasing and his current security proving inadequate," Archimedes said. "If I am not mistaken, you wish me to serve as his bodyguard until you tell me when to strike him down," Coriolanus said.

Archimedes nodded, surprised that Coriolanus figured that out without him telling but decided to let that slide because he knew that Coriolanus would need _some _independence in order to serve both Laertes and him. "You are correct your Majesty, once I tell you to do so then you will be the one to kill your son and retake your throne. Are you ready to accept this mission and gain some revenge against your one of your sons?" Archimedes asked him.

"I have been waiting nearly twenty years for this chance, I may be able to wait a little longer but I don't know how much longer," Coriolanus answered. "Good, then let's get you to Nyx to begin your servitude to your temporary master and younger son," Archimedes said with much enthusiasm on his face. This would indeed be a great servant for him and the rebellion.


	25. ToB: Chapter 3

Chapter Three

On the outskirts of Laertes' capital city named after the planet, Maul had built a hut near the city in a cave where he could remain secluded from any unwanted attention. He bought supplies in town when he needed them but he made sure to keep it short and sweet while simultaneously keeping an eye on the King. Appointments with Laertes were very minimal but in gratitude for saving his life and for offering free services as a bodyguard to him, Laertes gave him permission to visit anytime he wished. During one such appointment, Laertes had asked him who he was and how he knew of him.

Maul had been reluctant to reveal anything and remained so over the course of several visits. However, he had eventually given in when Laertes demanded to know at the threat of revealing him to the Jedi with full knowledge that Maul would be their enemy. Maul had told him that he had once been an ally to Ophelia, helping her during the last days of her career as a Jedi, the last days of her life. He told him about how Claudius had violently murdered her at Heraklion Prime and was now spending time in Coruscant's maximum security prison for her death as well as violating the rules of the Science Guild which strictly forbade interdimensional travel and manipulation of alternative realities.

Laertes had left him alone on the matter after that, perhaps pondering the fate of his brother and sister. Maul had visited with infrequency after that, arriving only to gather any information he found from rebels he had spotted and tortured into confession. "What happened with each of them after you were done with him?" Laertes asked. "Like you needed to ask that," Maul answered.

Laertes knew what Maul had meant by that comment immediately and nodded to show his understanding. Knowing the Sith of ancient legend, Laertes knew Maul had more than likely worn out their usefulness then disposed of them when he had taken what he needed from them. He had done this to eleven known associates and sympathizers of the rebellion who were likely to have any information on rebel outposts and assassination targets. But then after a week of near-futile efforts and only a few minor hits prevented, Maul decided to take a different approach.

"Where can I find someone who will know how to get me inside a rebel base?" Maul asked. "Are you planning to infiltrate them, find out all their information then undo them from the inside out?" Laertes asked in reply. Maul nodded and added that it would get him a lot farther than torture sessions with select associates and sympathizers. "If there is anyone who could lead you to the whereabouts of a rebel post such as what you seek, it would be Archimedes," Laertes replied.

"How come I have never heard of him before?" Maul asked, curious. "All records of Archimedes in the Republic were purged due to his rebellious medical and engineering views that focused primarily on combining the two together in order to create a more perfect field. Unfortunately, he went over the budget with many of his projects and was unable to pay back in time to avoid going bankrupt. This was worsened when virtually all of his experiments failed and those that succeeded were pathetically lacking in sentience and usefulness to the Republic," Laertes explained.

When Maul said nothing, Laertes continued with Archimedes' sad story. "Since then, he has been working for the highest bidder in providing weapons of war that are somewhat crude but have proven quite effective. He's also created primitive types of super soldiers were almost as effective as the inanimate weapons he has created for both myself and the rebellion. Archimedes has no permanent ties to any one side but he is the most likely to know of any important rebel posts, it would be him since he _despises _not bringing his creations to the location they are to be delivered to if he can help it," he concluded.

"When are you expecting to see him again?" Maul asked. "You're in luck, I'm due to see him tomorrow. He has apparently created something I may be interested in and perhaps while discussing what he's brought, you can sneak on his ship and wait until you have him alone. Having him help you find a rebel outpost should not be difficult from that point due to the fact that a single threat usually makes him talk very easily," Laertes answered.

"You sound as though you aren't worried about my departure," Maul stated. "On the contrary, I'm actually somewhat ecstatic because despite how long it may take for you to report anything to me you will have more in-depth information than any of my best spies could possibly hope to achieve. Besides, a Jedi Knight named Darius Othone is coming to protect me in your stead if that does not somehow hinder your plans for the rebellion," Laertes replied. "No it does not hinder my plans in any way unless the Jedi decides to investigate the possibility you have an ear on the inside," Maul said.

"Then be ready to infiltrate Archimedes' ship tomorrow afternoon, it'll be then or never while we discuss what he has brought and any price he may have in mind for it," Laertes ordered. Maul nodded and asked for a room to have in the Palace so that he could stay close until Archimedes arrived. He even added that he had already torn down his portable hut and packed up all of his supplies for this. "I'll arrange for my maidens to prepare you with the accommodations you will need for your stay, I will even be generous and order nothing but the best from all who accommodate you tonight," Laertes said, accepting his humble request.

"One question though: when is the Jedi due to arrive?" Maul asked. Laertes' skin paled as he realized he had forgotten about that matter. "Unfortunately, I heard he was due to arrive within the hour. Would like me to send all food and other services into your room so you don't risk revealing yourself?" Laertes asked.

Maul nodded violently and Laertes stepped on making the arrangements needed to accommodate Maul during his stay in the Palace. The bother was double for Laertes as he would also need to accommodate the Jedi Master while he stayed on Nyx for the duration of his stay in Laertes' domain. A room was immediately spared for both Jedi and Sith with Maul's being one room above where Darius would be staying while on Nyx. Laertes was only calmed when Maul settled in and he had everything ready before going to meet Darius in person as was customary on his planet.

**When Darius arrived on planet** Nyx, he immediately sensed something strange about Laertes. Whether it was a paranoid fear born out of the attempts on his life or something else was beyond him but the old man had been alive long enough to know that sometimes, it was best not to inquire as to the reasons for someone's fear. That or accept that perhaps it was his first time meeting a Jedi personally and he was just overwhelmed by the idea of a Master staying in his home. "Greeting Master Othone, it is an honor to receive a prestigious Jedi Master into our humble keeping," Laertes greeted.

"It is an honor to serve and protect you until the source of the rebellion has been found and stopped. Have necessary accommodations been made for my stay?" Othone asked. "Yes, we prepared a room for you and forgive me if some of it seems sloppy. We forgot we were expecting you until just an hour ago when one of my servants reminded me," Laertes answered.

"I will take anything over having to sit another moment on the seats of a Republic cruiser for as long as possible," Othone replied. Laertes smiled and guided the Jedi to his destination where Othone would immediately make himself at home. "Oh Master Othone, I have a business transaction to make tomorrow and the man I'm dealing with is known to have dealt with rebels before. Would you care to provide me with some protection in case he has soldiers with him?" Laertes requested.

Othone nodded, knowing it would give him a chance to start his quest in investigating the cause of the rebellion. When guided to his room, Othone figured he could start his meditations early so that he could be up in time to meet with Laertes for this business of his. Immediately, he sensed a dark void in the room above him that reminded him immediately of the carnage on Heraklion. Could this be a sign of the presence of Ozymandias' murderer but if so, why would he or she be here at any rate? He would have to go up to the room and see for himself if that was even remotely possible. Maybe this one would also know about the fate of Ophelia

**Maul had sensed the** overwhelming presence of the Light side of the Force and immediately deduced that Darius Othone had arrived. He really wished his master had taught him how to shield his presence from the Jedi but he would have to improvise without the knowledge to aid him. Curious, Othone decided to investigate and see if he could track down the assassin before he could do any more harm than he had already done. It could be possible that he could put an end to his investigation before he even had to begin it.

Maul sensed the presence of Othone as he moved toward him and knew that unless he did something, he would soon be discovered. He decided to settle for moving into the ventilation system and hope that the Jedi would think he was mislead in his sensing of Maul's aura. Climbing quickly, he saw that he had made that move just in time for Othone knock on his door and ask if anyone resided in his room. Maul did not respond and knew that if he remained hidden (much as he hated doing that) would not risk compromising the mission.

He had to remind himself that he was only here to protect Laertes until Sidious recalled him and he reported the truth behind the rumors of Coriolanus' survival. Good thing was that Maul had seen fit to request a comlink from Laertes so that they could communicate during his undercover operations in the rebellion. However, that was going to prove a hindrance should Laertes decide to call him while he was hiding from Othone. His heart was pumping and he truly hoped that Laertes didn't decide to bother him now and reveal him to the Jedi but luckily, he did not have to worry about that since Darius left after a few knocks on the door.

** "Can I help you,** Master Jedi?" Laertes asked politely. "I thought I sensed a life-form up here, does anyone occupy this space in your Palace?" Darius replied. "Oh no, no one's been in there for years, not since the days of my father," Laertes said. _Not until Maul arrived that is, it used to be my mother's room whenever father was away in battle or negotiating a truce with a rival _Laertes said to himself but not out loud.

"Something troubles you, what is it?" Darius inquired. "That used to be my deceased mother's room whenever my father was away from home," Laertes explained out of necessity. "I am so sorry, I have not known what it was like to have a family since I was less than ten years old and now I am seventy-six years old as of last month," Darius replied sympathetically. Laertes led him away, thanked him for his words, but could not shake off the feeling that the Jedi was still suspicious of Maul's presence in his Palace.

"Who is the man you spoke of about the business you had?" Darius Othone asked. "I don't think you want to know just yet," Laertes answered. Othone insisted and Laertes revealed he was associating with Doctor Archimedes himself. "Because he is associated with you, I will let him get away with the crimes that have made him a fugitive for now but finish this business and make sure he understands that the next time he contacts you, he _will_ be brought back to trial on Coruscant," Darius warned.

"Believe me, I intend to be done with him after this. As it is, I have very few associations with him," Laertes replied calmly. That was one point where for once, he could agree with the Jedi without worrying for Maul. After all, if he could get into their base, Maul may be Laertes' only chance of undoing them Sith Lord or not.


	26. ToB: Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Archimedes arrived right on schedule and presented himself in the same cocky way that Laertes remembered from last time. "Doctor, how be you today?" Laertes asked with a bow. Archimedes returned the bow and replied that he was exceptionally enthusiastic about this deal. _Can't understand why he would be if he's had dealings with the King before _Othone thought.

"For today's deal with you, your Royal Highness, may I present…" he slowly went off as if trying to add drama to a perfect moment he had planned. Laertes and Darius braced themselves for whatever he had to say and Laertes knew that if Maul overheard this, it could affect his investigations. Then Archimedes said it, "Coriolanus Draco returned from the dead!" Right on cue, a cyborg that was undoubtedly Coriolanus years ago walked down the ramp of Archimedes' shuttle and walked towards the man who had once been his eldest son.

Coriolanus bowed before his son and explained his mission was now only to serve him since Laertes had become king in his place. "My father… resurrected? How did you do this, Archimedes and what is your charge for this achievement?" Laertes asked. It was impossible for Claudius to have been flawed in his calculations of the setting he had established for the deaths of both Coriolanus and Fortinbras.

But then, he did remember what Claudius had said when Laertes asked him about a chance of survival. "If either one of them were to survive, our father would be the most likely candidate. After all, he's gotten himself out of many predicaments through cleverness while our grandfather merely applied brute force and fought his way through that same problem," Claudius had said to his brother. It had not eased Laertes' worries completely but he could be safe in the knowledge that his brother had calculated the chances.

Better yet, Claudius had admitted that at least for their father there was some slight chance that he could escape from their intricate trap. Now, Coriolanus stood before Laertes no longer his lord and father but his cybernetic servant destined only to help him destroy the rebels. Only Master Othone sensed that Archimedes had hidden intentions for this servant of Laertes especially when he said that he was willing to give Coriolanus to Laertes for free. "As for how I saved him, I found him on the verge of death after just barely surviving Claudius' well-thought and near-perfect assassination attempt and stored him in carbonite until I felt you would be needing his skills," he added.

_Carbon freezing has only worked on inanimate objects or small animals yet he has somehow managed to make it work for Coriolanus. Did we miss something about the capacity of carbonite's ability to store humans and related humanoid species? _Othone asked himself. It was definitely something to report to Master Yoda and Windu after this business was over and he would have the privacy of his room to meditate on this as well as what he had learned about the capacities of carbonite storage.

** Maul knew his window** of opportunity had come when Archimedes had stepped out of his ship to conduct business with King Laertes. However, he was temporarily thrown off by the cyborg that had come out of the shuttle especially when Archimedes announced that it was the former King Coriolanus Draco. Indeed the rumors were true but he had to wonder, would Claudius really be unsurprised at the survival of his father or had he lied due to the arrogance brought on by the success of his plans to bring peace to Nyx? Probably not as Archimedes had been a competitor of his who tried to prove himself better than Claudius by combining aspects of mechanical engineering with medicine.

While indeed an impressive feat as was seen with Coriolanus, Claudius would undoubtedly have called it shortsighted as it would only benefit this galaxy and not the others both he and Claudius had seen. After being momentarily distracted by Coriolanus' sudden resurrection, Maul entered the ship after mind-tricking the guards into going to his room to obtain his ID papers which allowed him on board the small shuttle. Laertes had told him that Archimedes would not be long in finishing the business nor returning to his shuttle for the trip back to his base of operations deep within the mountains northwest of the Palace. _It appears that he is typical of the mad scientist community with a base in the mountains and associations with anyone who bids high enough to have his creations in their power _Maul thought.

He smiled with that thought and saw from his hiding point that Archimedes was returning right on schedule, his business with the King concluded. Maul let the scientist board the ship, close up the ramp, and head for the controls which would guide his shuttle back to his dark and damp home. It was after Archimedes plotted the course and set it to autopilot that Maul struck, igniting his lightsaber and putting it to Archimedes' throat before the man could draw out the small pistol he had holstered and properly clipped to his belt. "Archimedes, tell me where I may find a rebel outpost or else I will gut you alive!" Maul ordered with much sadism carried in his voice.

"Please do not harm me lad, I am merely a man trying to make a scrap living with his capabilities as a medic and an engineer. There is a rebel recruitment center not too far from my laboratory in a neighboring village that has not love for the King or his dynasty," Archimedes said. "Point it out to me when we are near your cave and maybe I won't cut you to bits, little man," Maul ordered maliciously. "No need for this violent behavior, I will take you to the village before I head home if that should satisfy you," Archimedes replied.

Maul never once let his eyes leave Archimedes even when he had deactivated his lightsaber and let Archimedes chart his course to include the village along his way back home. Archimedes told Maul to get settled in as it would be at least a standard hour before they arrived at the village where Maul could find the rebels. Maul did but never let his guard down around Archimedes, knowing that while insane this one was no fool and would seize any chance to destroy the Dark Lord that he could possibly get. It was only when he saw that Archimedes had kept his word that Maul began to relax until he heard that Archimedes could not land on the village.

"Why not?" Maul asked. "The village elders have banished me from coming to the village but I am allowed to let anybody who wants to come in to jump from my ship and onto the village grounds, no more than that though," Archimedes answered. Maul frowned but chose to accept that as he knew village elders on any planet could be staunch in their decisions no matter how wise or unwise they turned out to be. When he got close enough, Archimedes opened up the ramp and Maul jumped down to the village below which looked impoverished, thus encouraging the youth to seek out the rebels and the elderly to wonder if they would ever come back to help them make a decent living.

After Archimedes' shuttle left, Maul made his way into the deeper parts of the village in the hopes of finding a recruiter in their equivalent of a town square. With his lightsaber ready for any fights he may have with the youths of this poor place, his logic had been that closer to the town square would be where he'd find the recruits since recruiters normally sought visibility in places like this. Suddenly, six men from all directions lunged themselves at him but he ignited one end of his lightsaber and warned them to get back from him lest they be the next victims of his red blade. "You are not the first young men I've killed nor will you be the last should you choose to die by my hand," he added.

All of them stopped their attack immediately but one was curious and asked him what he was doing if he didn't want to harm any member of their village. "I'm seeking a recruiter from the rebellion so I may be taken to the rebel leaders. I believe they will find my abilities more interesting than anyone else they may have with them presently," Maul answered. "There is one in the town square and perhaps he may have an interest in your abilities with that weapon you have," the leader told him.

"It's called a lightsaber!" one of his comrades interjected. "I know what it is, dumbass! Now follow us and we'll take you to the local recruiter," the leader said impatiently. Funny thing was that Maul now took the time to examine the weapons they had and realized that they had to be from offworld due to how they shone and looked fresher than the native blades of Nyx.

In addition, it seemed that they were vibroblades with a patent from either the Techno Union or the Trade Federation though Maul didn't understand why they would make weapons for anyone, forgetting these people. It was not long before they arrived at the square nor long for the recruiter to show up and ask the youths who they had obtained for the cause this time around. "A special one, he's got a lightsaber on his belt and seems to wield it professionally," the leader of the group explained. _You haven't even seen me wield my lightsaber since you stopped before you started a fight _Maul thought but did not say.

"A Jedi?" the recruiter asked him. "Better," Maul said before igniting his lightsaber again. The recruiter looked at him and Maul wondered if he had blown his cover by doing that but was relieved when the recruiter guessed he was a Dark Jedi. "And that is a lot better than the ones from Coruscant," he added.

"Will the rebel leaders desire to see me?" Maul asked. "Perhaps but for now, you'll have to deal with the leaders of this area's outpost if you're not in a big hurry to go anywhere," the recruiter answered. "No, in fact, I have no intention of going very far just right now," Maul lied. He hoped to get into the rebellion's heart soon and report all their plans to Laertes in secret.

It was one of the details he covered while discussing his plans to undo them from the inside with him. "I'll start out by serving their cause, perhaps giving them some hope. Several of your troops may have to die to enforce this view but several dozen by my hand is better than several thousand by theirs when you think about it," he had said to the King. "Several thousand will still die by their hand," Laertes had replied predictably.

"True but those several thousand will be the accumulation of several hundred unimportant posts since all the important ones on their side will be under attack by your troops thanks to my efforts within," Maul had said to Laertes. Smiling, Laertes had accepted the plan immediately and so far, Maul believed the plan was going good. The first stage of it was completed now that the recruiter had chosen to recruit him to the rebellion's cause. After this, the next stage would be a simple one: prove his allegiance to the rebellion by following their instructions while slowly sending information on important rebel facilities to Laertes.

"Congratulations pal, looks like you're in the rebellion," said the leader of the gang he met. "Why wouldn't I be?" Maul asked. "You've yet to pass the test of initiation, if you do you're in but if you don't, you die," the leader answered. "I never did catch your name, good sir," Maul said.

"I'm called Fafnir in these parts and I don't mind a good fight whenever one comes," the man replied with a wide and toothy grin. Maul could tell he had years of experience from how his gums looked like the teeth had been punched out and how the remaining ones looked like one more punch would knock them all out. "What is the test of initiation?" Maul asked. "You have to fight me and as many of my gang as you can before giving up, defeat more than six and you're in," he answered.

"And if I defeat you all?" Maul inquired. "Nobody has done that before but if you were to do it, you would no doubt attract the attention of the local captain and possibly the rebel leaders," Fafnir answered. Maul liked this test already, knowing full well that unless there was a Force-sensitive among them these young men would not be _too _difficult. As it was, the fact that they had challenged him to a death match where he had to kill as many as possible was reason enough to appreciate their skills in combat especially if no one had ever defeated all of them before.


	27. ToB: Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Maul sensed no Force-sensitives in the gang but had no doubt it was still going to be somewhat challenging with their knowledge of martial arts and the weapons they chose to wield against him. Some of these were different kinds of axes, primitive bows and arrows, and several different types of vibroblades ranging from paired knives to long swords. His plan was simple: first see what he could do just using Teräs Käsi against them before then applying his powers and his lightsaber. It didn't take long for them to send in someone who was willing to fight him and the man was by no means a mere trifle.

He was easily more than two meters tall and wielded a huge mace with massive spikes on the ball. However, Maul immediately saw a means to take him out with just his martial arts. Leaping into the air, he spun repeatedly and in complete circles until he neared the giant's head then delivered a kick to the face so powerful that he literally snapped the man's neck like a twig and broke his upper spinal cord. The giant monster of a man was dead before he hit the ground and after Maul had done so.

Initially, the rest of the gang was reluctant to continue the fight but Fafnir instructed them that they could forfeit and lose their masculinity or fight and possibly die with honor and dignity. The next one to make an attempt was a young Ithorian with a pair of short scythes who used them more like axes then scythes or so Maul determined from his sloppiness. This one was killed with a simple chop to both arms and a twist of his neck that easily broke his whole spinal cord from the shoulders to his feet. The next man to attack was a human with a war hammer that would easily take two men to wield under normal circumstances but Maul knew these were not normal at all.

_Three down, thirty-five more to go _Maul thought to himself. He slaughtered twenty more with just his skill in Teräs Käsi, smashing the face of a human here, rupturing the appendix of a fellow Zabrak there, and even managing to shut down two of the three hearts on a Muun at the same time. The inability to pump enough blood to his head and body caused the Muun to die within a few minutes but Maul realized that the last fifteen men he had to fight (including Fafnir) would not be dealt with as easily as the twenty-three men he had slain with his skill in Teräs Käsi. So instead of continuing with his martial arts, he pulled out his lightsaber and activated one end before beckoning his final set of opponents to their sad and, perhaps, pathetic demises at his blade.

The first man to attack him made the mistake of swinging down, a blow Maul countered simply by deflecting it then turning so that the deactivated end of his lightsaber was pointed at the man's face. Then he ignited the blade, smashing the man's nose and most of the area between his eyes, severing brain tendons, and the blade poked half a meter away from the dome of his skull. Maul deactivated the blade then lunged his activated one into another man's chest when he made the same mistake as his comrade. He killed six more in a similar fashion before he saw Fafnir unite the last seven and attack him by trying to circle him.

Maul had a solution to this problem by simply using a Force repulse that killed four and injured, leaving Fafnir and one other left. He finished off the injured warriors with a Force choke before decapitating the remaining minion of Fafnir's posse. Smiling, Maul chastised the poor performance he had seen in these supposed soldiers of the rebellion. "Trust me, they're nothing compared to what the generals have nor are they anything compared to me," Fafnir replied sincerely.

"What makes you so certain of that?" Maul inquired, curious. "I am one of the minor generals (the ones I've mentioned are gathered in a council that oversees the rebellion) who guard a specific region with this one being mine. My troops are out keeping these people safe while I find more recruits to aid them in that respect under the guise of a gang leader. The recruiter was real and does a fine job of persuading young men and women to join when I never could have," Fafnir explained.

"And if I kill you, what happens to them?" Maul asked. "If you are willing to take my place as the general of this region, nothing will happen. However, should you refuse and kill me anyway, the troops will have no guide and the region will be overrun with enemy soldiers from the King," Fafnir answered. Maul smiled and even started to laugh at Fafnir's most grievous error in having made this gamble with him and unfortunately, the man's stupidity hit a new low when he asked him what was so funny.

"Rooting out the rebels from within was precisely why I came here. I hoped to attract the attention of the Council, possibly become a member, then use my access to information on rebel posts to undo them from both outside and inside. Once the posts have been hit simultaneously (as has been the hopes of King Laertes for some time) the men will be so demoralized they will retreat home or surrender to the King, leaving the Generals exposed to the King and immediately put on trail for their crimes against Nyx," he answered. "You are no ordinary Dark Jedi, are you?" Fafnir asked, more rhetorical but still directed at his enemy.

"Foolish boy, I am more powerful than any Dark Jedi or even a member of the Jedi Order on Coruscant. Know that you have fought and died against the apprentice of a Sith Lord," Maul replied. Finishing Fafnir was simple now that the rage at his revealed treachery unbalanced the foolish normal man who dared to challenge him. Maul disarmed him by slicing off both of his arms and, before finishing him, said he had nonetheless made the Sith Lord proud of his fighting skill.

Then he whirled his blade around his body and sliced Fafnir in half in a horizontal fashion. Fafnir was dead before he landed on the ground and Maul was on his way back to report his success to the unknowing recruiter. And when the man heard that Fafnir and all thirty-seven of the other gangsters were dead, he wrote it down in his notes and said he would be contacting a secretary of one of the Council members immediately. "Fafnir's dream was to be a member but his death has made it true for you instead of him as he would have liked," the recruiter added before providing Maul with a fine house to sleep in for the night.

"Do you think the Council will have use for a man of my talents?" Maul asked. "More than likely, especially if you killed a minor general and thirty-seven other men with very little effort," the recruiter answered enthusiastically. He welcomed Maul to the cause which the Sith Lord thanked him for then left to make his report on his behalf. Now there was only one thing left to do: contact Laertes and report his success in infiltrating the rebellion's circle.

** When Laertes first heard** the news of Maul's success, he could not believe his ears as though they had somehow deceived him and allowed his mind to conjure an image of success on the Sith Lord's part. "How did you manage?" he asked. "I forced Archimedes to take me to a nearby village that supported the rebellion by providing fresh recruits. After that, I passed an initiation test that involved me fighting the general of the village and thirty-six other men before finally taking his title for my own and thus is how I finish my report," Maul answered.

"Do you think their Council will have enough interest in your skill to replace one of their members with you? If so, your privileges as the one who will know where all the major and minor posts are will prove very useful to me," Laertes inquired. "I'm the one who's got the connection to the Force and a double-sided lightsaber, you let me worry about whether or not they will accept me," Maul replied. "Perhaps I should not have it any other way, should I Maul?" Laertes asked to which Maul answered by shaking his head and smiling.

** "Master, Master, are you** there?" asked the familiar voice of his young apprentice. "I'm here Lord Maul, I was not expecting you at this time," Sidious answered. And it was true, he had just barely gotten back out of a meeting as Senator Palpatine of the Republic and was not anticipating a disruption from his apprentice at this hour. One from his master Plagueis would only have been expected but not his apprentice.

"As you know, I've been operating for two days but I have good news for you. I found out the truth of the rumors: Coriolanus is alive though he's added many cybernetic prostheses to his body. Secondly, I have infiltrated a minor post of the rebellion and taken over as General of the area. Within the next week or so, I should be in the Council of rebel leaders and on my way to bringing the rebellion to its knees," Maul explained.

"What in the blazes are you doing? My orders were to _protect _the King until further notice, not go destroying the rebellion as much as I admire what you've done," Sidious snarled. "The Jedi sent one of their Masters to do what I was sent to do, I couldn't afford to stick around if I didn't want to jeopardize our very existence. Besides, Laertes requested that I destroy the rebellion and on this world, no word is ignored when it comes from the King," Maul replied.

Sidious had to give him that and asked him how long he could expect before hearing about the collapse of the rebellion. "If you mean from me, within about a week or more but if you want to wait for the HoloNet News to report it, then you're looking at two weeks," Maul answered. Darth Sidious smiled knowing his apprentice had proven himself quite resourceful in this mission and even Lord Plagueis would have to admit that he was something. "Keep at it and report to me whenever you can, keep in touch with the King as much as possible but report the end results of your mission to me," he told his apprentice.

Darth Maul bowed and promised that it would be done before disconnecting the communications between them. Smiling, Sidious decided to contact Plagueis and inform him of Maul's current status in his mission. It would be worth a couple looks of surprise and admiration from the old Muun who seldom gave any expression other than the cold remorselessness Sidious had known since becoming his student. "Sidious, may I help you somehow?" Plagueis asked when he finally responded to Sidious' transmission to him.

** "No doubt that though** savage, your feat is indeed remarkable. I strongly move to add this warrior to the Council," said General Montesquieu, representing Darth Maul on the Council of leaders supervising the rebellion. "All in favor, signal by saying 'aye'," said General Guildenstern, leader of the Council and the rebel cause. Five of the seven Council members said 'aye' while only two said nay.

Though both opponents were allowed to discuss their points, mistrust of who he was being the biggest issue they had with him, the decision was made. Maul was now the eighth General of the Council as well as its youngest member to have achieved this 'prestigious' rank. However, only one of the people present for this meeting had second thoughts as to making that last. Archimedes, yearning to avenge his honor, silently vowed to find a way to make Darth Maul pay for his threats on his shuttle.

_I will bide my time warrior and when opportunity arises, I _will _strike _he thought to himself. Just then an alien force invaded his head, putting him through great pain but he knew what was going on once he heard a voice in his mind. _I would be disappointed if you did not _the voice said calmly. And it didn't take Archimedes very long to figure out Maul had been reading his thoughts like a book and had chosen this time to assure him of that section of his awesome power. After Maul released his hold, Archimedes swore to be a little more careful about what he was his thought patterns.

Especially when Maul could read his thoughts at any time he chose to do so, with or without the scientist's consent. His greatest hope though, was that he hadn't discovered Coriolanus… yet.


	28. ToB: Chapter 6

Chapter Six

"So father, in spite of the fact that I once served you I must inform you that you are now my servant. Do you understand this?" Laertes asked. "Of course I do, it is what Archimedes made clear to me before I returned to your life," Coriolanus answered. "Then I have an assignment for you that will prove if what Archimedes has said about your-improvements-holds water or if it has been exaggerated," Laertes said.

"I am prepared to do what I must to prove myself to you as I had once been required to prove myself to my father before I could ascend to what was once mine," Coriolanus replied. "Very good, now let us begin: there is an important supply base I need protected from rebels who would sabotage my efforts to aid the civilians affected by their violent attacks meant for me. I will give you the coordinates then expect you to hold out for two weeks which will be long enough for the rebels to give up and sabotage lines more easily defended than this one," Laertes said. "You have at least eight supply lines with the same purpose, what makes this one so special?" Coriolanus asked.

"This is the one that is essential for the others ones do continue to exist, without it the others have nothing to give to the innocent civilians who will then surely aid the rebellion in their efforts to destroy me. And as you guessed, that is something I cannot have happening while I am still the King of the entire Erebus system," Laertes answered. "Then I will obey my lord's command and return victoriously," Coriolanus said with a practiced bow. "I will expect nothing less if you wish to prove Archimedes right in his intriguing claims of your capabilities as a warrior," Laertes agreed.

** From the artificial eye he had** inserted into Coriolanus, Archimedes watched the events of his plan unfold before him. _In the end, the rebellion _I _helped create may be destroyed but what does it matter so long as I destroy the King and bring the attention of the Jedi? I know Darius Othone does not want me yet but maybe he will after I complete my plan _he thought. He hoped that would be the case since the representative of the Jedi Order was already here and Archimedes needed their attention if he was to continue with his plans for the Republic.

And the only person he had to thank for orchestrating all of this was that Muun with the breathing mask that covered half his face. It was a pity that such an otherwise perfect man would have such an imperfection that led to their only communications being in holographic transmissions on secure channels. But still, he had to wonder why the Muun would want Laertes destroyed and what benefit it would do him. Unfortunately, he had voiced this before and had only received the promise of knowing with time.

** From high above, on the** balcony of his headquarters, Darth Maul looked out at the rebellion's capital and was disappointed by what it amounted to in comparison to Laertes' city Sparta. In fact, it was a piece of shit by comparison though he never cared to say so aloud to his fellow Councilmen. The streets were littered with trash, feces, and urine stains from the local drunks (six of whom Maul had had to kill when they agitated him and two of whom he had severely maimed to make an example of them), and near-completely naked women who often offered themselves to men who would leave them beaten, bruised, and/or bleeding when they were through for merely enough credits for a scrap living. The worst part was that it never changed no matter how much time passed and Maul wished he could simply end the rebellion and have it over with.

Unfortunately, he could not do that until the Council decided to trust him with their information on all the major outposts and supply lines they had. _Makes little if any difference whether they decide now or decide in two months though. The rebellion won't last more than a year with the way this is presently going _Maul told himself repeatedly. Unless they had something planned that they didn't want him to know until it was too late to stop it.

** For four days, Coriolanus** had been camped out at the outpost on which his son had requested his supervision. Though now the cybernetic servant of Archimedes that would eventually turn on his own son in exchange for regaining his throne, Coriolanus found something familiar about this particular place and about the way the people looked at him whenever he passed by. He wasn't quite sure what it was but he was indeed sure it had something to do with his past but how? When Archimedes had awakened him, he had no memory of anything that had happened to him except for Claudius' betrayal and escaping the top of his tower just in time for the explosion to burn most of his body and force the amputation of his arm, hand, and lower body.

He thought about all that had happened to him until a young recruit, fresh out of school by his look, told him that three dozen rebels were approaching from the north pass. Using the artificial eye, he spied the rebels but he also spied a bigger group amassed in South. "That's not all we're in for," he said before mentioning the southern group to the young soldier. "What do we do, sir?" he asked.

"Deal with the southern passage, I'll handle the northern one. Besides, the north was meant to be a distraction for us at any rate," Coriolanus answered. The sergeant did as he was told with both speed and efficiency, strengthening the resolve of his fellow soldiers as well as himself. Using his eye yet again, he retraced the rebels and aimed so that he could shoot them down but instead of pulling out a blaster, he simply extended a clenched fist and watched as it began to glow until it released a bolt that was fatter but faster and deadlier than a regular blaster bolt.

The first soldier to go down lost his entire head to its power and collapsed with his neck completely gone and the wound near-instantly cauterized by the searing heat of the bolt. Coriolanus took no time to examine that before proceeding to do the same thing to the next soldier that was closest to him though the man was still meters away from reaching his position. The rebels had come through the pass hoping for a victory but instead, they managed only to land in a slaughter as they would soon discover when all of Coriolanus' soldiers were able to focus on the main army while Coriolanus himself dealt with the distraction. Twenty more of the distraction squad were slaughtered in the same brutal way as the first man before the rest decided to retreat despite leaving their comrades to their deaths against Coriolanus' focused, experienced, superior soldiers.

Victory was his but Coriolanus had a strong feeling that this would be the only victory he would achieve. After all, it took the rebels four days to come up with such a force and it wasn't likely they would be able to come up with it again judging by what Laertes had said about their weakening influence, funds, supplies, and able-bodied men for their cause. It was originally Laertes' intention to just slowly melt the rebellion away so as to show that the power of the monarchy lied not only in its military but in its King's ability to patiently test the strength of his enemy and see if he could wear them out _before _going on the attack. However, Coriolanus' suggestion to just finish them off now that they were too weak to do little more than protest and protect their bases from his military might.

Laertes liked that idea and said that he already had been brewing military strength for a pronged attack that would involve attacking at least half of the bases in simultaneity so that no general in the rebellion could send help to his comrades without risking an opening in his own defenses and possible defeat. "Once I destroy enough bases that way, there will be only one thing for them to do: abandon all bases beside their capital one and hope their united numbers will give them some chance against me. It's then that I intend to wipe them out… all of them," he added. "But why?" Coriolanus asked.

"I have been polite to the leaders of the rebellion for too long and have offered too many chances at diplomacy. They deliberately spat in my face at all of those chances thus making their choice, now all I have to do is merely grant them their wish for death. I will leave a trail of blood in my wake that says to any other dissidents that I am a benevolent King to those who treat me with the respect of my office but dangerous to those who do not," Laertes answered. Coriolanus could somewhat relate to that, remembering how bloody his own rise to power had been long before he met Laertes' mother.

It was during one of those battles that one of his enemies gouged out the eye that was now replaced by the prosthetic one Archimedes had given him. Smiling, he liked that at least one of his sons had some behavioral resemblance to him though he felt that the Coriolanus Draco who had fathered, Juliet II, Laertes, Helena, Claudius, and Ophelia had long died. In his place was this cyborg with only one desire: gain some measure of revenge against Laertes and Claudius for their betrayal against him. And it was about time he was given the chance to begin his quest for revenge if anyone was to ask him how he felt about finally being this close to his son for the first time in more than a decade.

** Archimedes didn't know how** many bases Laertes intended to attack but that didn't matter. He knew Maul intended to turn over all the confidential information the rebellion stored straight to the King once he had access, destroying the rebellion within a matter of weeks rather than months. If he didn't somehow manage to warn the Generals of what Maul was intending to do to help Laertes, it would be the undoing of his plans as he would have to move a lot sooner than he would've wished. However, there was no way to convict Maul of treason until the mysterious warrior laid his hands on the information and Archimedes had no way of knowing if that happened from his base in the mountains since the rebellion trusted no one to the point of even blocking his transmissions.

This would mean having to return to the rebels' base and literally have one on one contact with the very Generals that had forced him to leave: Montesquieu and Octavian, the ladder of whom was the current leader of the rebellion Archimedes had created. Just then, he had received a call from the Muun who had inspired him to create the rebellion in the first place. "Archimedes you look hurried, am I keeping you from some pressing matter?" he asked. "Yes and no mister, it's just this Zabrak named Maul has joined the rebellion and become one of the Generals on the Council but I get the feeling he's going to destroy the very rebellion I created before I can even complete my plans," Archimedes answered.

"Allow him this victory, the rebellion was never meant to overthrow Laertes whether I made you think so or not. Nor were _you _meant to live this long and see it blossom and rotting," the Muun said calmly. "What the hell are you talking about, Muun?" Archimedes inquired. "I will tell you but unfortunately, you'll have to cancel your flight after hearing this unless you'd like to die much sooner than I wish you to do that for me," the Muun assured him, like a coaxing parent goading a child with a treat that was never there to start with.

** Montesquieu went to visit** the chambers of the Council's latest addition to tell him good news. It had been long and hard but in the end, the move to do what had been done was worth it. And the Zabrak had no idea the surprise he was in for when Montesquieu told him what he had to tell him. "Yes, how can I help you?" Maul asked after answering the door.

"Maul, I have great news that you will be more than eager to hear," Montesquieu said. "Then let's hear it," Maul replied. "You have been allowed access to all of our confidential files and can withdraw the information for any purpose you so desire," Montesquieu shouted. "That is good news indeed," Darth Maul said, surprise visible on his red and black face.


	29. ToB: Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Maul had what he needed and faked surprise though not gratitude to assure that it seemed good to both him and the other Generals. Immediately he went into the research center and began digging into the classified files. Though he had everything he needed, one particular file intrigued him and it was one that told of something called "the Monster" which had been a weapon created by the Council of Mystics, who presently resided in the Palace with King Laertes, as a means of protecting the people of Nyx from invaders on the neighboring world of Ares, warlike people who grew disgusted with the peaceful ways preached by the King of Nyx at that ancient time. Initially, the beast presented no problem and was easy for the thirteen members of the Council to manipulate but in time, it grew so powerful and free-willed from its days as a weapon against the Arian people that the Mystics combined their power to seal it away in the Underworld.

Since that day, twelve thousand years before the birth of the Draco family, the Monster had been lying dormant and patient. It fueled on the war, bloodshed, hate, and fear of the people of Nyx growing stronger as they weakened. Worse, it was said that all would be needed for it to be free was the death of a King of Nyx since it was the King's sacrifice that helped the Mystics seal it away twelve millennia ago. Maul feared that Archimedes had founded this rebellion and made the plans he made to kill the King just so he could unleash the beast upon this world and see what its capabilities were.

From there it didn't take him long to conclude that if powerful enough, the Monster would become Archimedes' weapon against the rest of the galaxy with the Republic and its Jedi being his most powerful foe. Though shortsighted compared to the goals of Claudius' interdimensional travels, it was still something not to be trifled with by any means. Maul knew that though destroying the rebellion would probably hasten the Monster's return to this world, it was something that had to be done before it could aid them in finishing off Laertes' dynasty. He had to be fast about transferring those files to Laertes then just as fast in finding Archimedes and somehow dispatching him before he could tell Coriolanus to kill Laertes and release the Monster unto Nyx.

He needed to silence the little man before he could complete his plans and stop Maul from completing his own. Saving the file about the Monster and Archimedes' obsession with releasing it to a datacard for later examination, Maul pulled out another one and began downloading the files about the outposts and the names of the Generals involved with the rebellion as well as its greatest supporters besides Archimedes himself. After completing that business in the research center, he marched back to his headquarters with as huge an attempt to not hurry as possible since hurrying would lure unwanted suspicion of his secret activities. He reminded himself that the Sith were about secrecy and patience, not rash and impulsive action.

Reaching his headquarters, he immediately secured the line in which he wished to speak with Laertes and sent the transmission almost immediately. "Maul, I haven't heard from you in almost four weeks, what's going on?" Laertes asked, surprised to see Maul alive and well. "Firstly, I'm a member of the Council of Generals in the rebellion and second, I have the information about all of their most important outposts and cities on a transferable datacard and I'm sending it to you as we speak," Maul answered. "Excellent, my troops are getting ready for when I give them the order to do my eight-pronged attack which will force them to unite the troops in their four remaining bases for one final stand against my army," Laertes said with zeal.

"One more thing while the files are downloading, I know why Archimedes created the rebellion. He wants to release this thing called 'The Monster' upon this world and he's been using the rebellion to do precisely that as well as bring about your death thus assuring its release. Archimedes has been planning this ever since he started the rebellion and left it just so he could continue working on his own schemes for your demise at his hand," Maul explained. "Then it is as I feared, I banished him for precisely what you speak of when he became too obsessive about finding the creature and releasing it just for the sake of testing its power against my people," Laertes said.

"I assumed that he intended to use it against the Republic once it proved successful against you, wouldn't that sound like him?" Maul asked. Laertes nodded grimly and added that Archimedes had always been selfish and power hungry though he was still just a weakly coward. "In that case, I will have to destroy him before he can release the Monster," Maul said. "No, not until we know if it's the rebellion we should be worried about or if that cyborg he gave me was the one sent to destroy me," Laertes said, adding that even though Coriolanus had proven himself a worthy servant Laertes still didn't trust Archimedes' sincerity. "Look into that and do what you can on that end, fight Coriolanus if you have to but do the best you can to find out before that happens," Maul agreed.

"I've got all the information, I'll begin dispatching my troops immediately to the coordinates you've put in," Laertes said after a short moment of silence. "I wish you luck in dispatching the rebels before Archimedes has a chance to release the Monster back on to your world. Remember, the galaxy may be at stake if he should release it and let it rampage across Nyx," Maul replied. Laertes nodded then disconnected the transmission between himself and Maul to begin making the necessary arrangements.

** "Calling all high-ranked Generals** in the Nyx military, meet me in the Chamber of Military Affairs immediately. We have ourselves a chance at victory but we must begin planning it quickly," Laertes said on an intercom that transmitted his message on speakers across the entire palace. If there were any Generals in the immediate vicinity, they would hear his call and head to the chamber immediately. In the meantime, he had to tell the Mystics of Maul's revelations about 'the Monster' and Archimedes' ongoing intent to release it.

Luckily, their chambers were not too far from his own and could be instantly accessed should he need their council as they had never left the Palace since sealing the Monster away twelve thousand years ago. Or so the ancient myth went but Laertes was not about to put that to the test anytime soon if he could help it. Arriving at the Chamber of the Mystics, Laertes was immediately reminded of the power he had first felt emanating from them when he was a little boy and Coriolanus would bring him in during his meetings with the mysterious old men. "Wise Mystics, I have come before you once again with a problem only you would know how to solve amongst all of us: Archimedes, a scientist I banished to the far reaches of Nyx, threatens to unleash 'the Monster' and may very well succeed," Laertes explained.

He added that he had come to the Mystics, seeking their help in case the Monster was indeed released from its confines in the dark Underworld. "We have sensed this for years, even before Archimedes became obsessed with finding the Monster and freeing him. Our power is fading with the lack of faith in our abilities that your people show. For twelve thousand years, we believed the Monster to be imprisoned forever but soon he will be breaking free," the eldest, Father Tiberius, said.

"What can we do?" Laertes asked. "Once you finish with the rebellion, you can reassemble your army and prepare to meet it at the mountains near Archimedes' lair in case it is successfully released. In the meantime, we will make our own preparations to face it and will be sure to notify you when we are ready for the battle," Tiberius answered. "What do you intend to do?" Laertes inquired.

"Our ancestors defeated the Monster by combining their powers in the body of just the body of their leader. As our code forbids us all from working together against the Monster, it is our deepest hope that perhaps we can defeat it in this same way once more," Tiberius said, his voice a little too calm (or cynical) for Laertes to remain unnerved by it. "Let me know when you're ready and when the rebels are defeated, we'll escort you to the place of the Monster's containment for a battle with it," the King said before leaving the cold chamber behind him. Though it was nice to get out of there, Laertes knew that any Generals who had heard his announcement would be waiting in the Chamber of Military Affairs for him.

But then there was just one more thing to do before he could meet them and it would be quick. Reaching into his robe pocket, he pulled out a comlink that Darius had given him when he arrived. "Master Othone, meet me at the dining hall tonight. I have something I may need you to do for me," Laertes said into it before being greeted with a reply stating that Darius would be meeting him tonight.

** Archimedes arrived at the rebel** capital city and was displeased by the amount of commotion in the city. However, he couldn't let it distract him lest he fail to reach the Generals in time to warn them of possible treachery from the Zabrak they had taken in as one of them. Unfortunately though, Montesquieu and Octavian were both away on business at the other bases but he was taken to General Virgil, a man of few but wise words who listened to Archimedes no matter how insane his stories may sound. "Virgil, dear friend, I need your help now more than ever: I fear that your newest member may be the spy that rumor says Laertes sent to destroy us all," he explained.

Though Virgil listened as Archimedes added that Maul had threatened him with death to get to the recruiter, killed nearly forty rebels as a test of initiation, and revealed little about himself, what he had to say astounded the scientist. "Firstly, what proof do you have of his treachery? Secondly, those rebel soldiers made their choice when they decided to sacrifice their lives so he could be recruited and you revealed very little about yourself at the start of our fight against the King," the silent General said. "But Virgil, those days were different; back then, we could trust each other with no reservation but now he has come and he's had me on edge ever since you elected him a member," Archimedes replied.

"I never supported his rise to the Council, I even said that it was too swift to be appropriate or wise for that matter. However, Octavian and Montesquieu are both the governing minds of the rebellion and have been ever since you left to pursue your own ends. You could still return to our fold though, you never committed treason against the rebellion and funded us with money, supplies, and ammunition when no one else could," Virgil countered. "No, not when I'm so close to completing the goals I vowed I would complete when I left the rebellion," Archimedes said.

"Then my friend, I have done all I can to aid you in your suspicions of our newest Council initiate," Virgil replied, his face grim with pity for his friend. "You could petition to have Maul investigated for any suspicious activity, could you not?" Archimedes asked. "Perhaps but at least four other Generals would have to agree with me in order for it to be considered. And in the hype of this newbie's feat, the Generals are still unwilling to do anything about him," Virgil answered.

"Not even investigate him and make sure his loyalty is solely with the rebellion?" Archimedes insisted. Virgil shook his head and added it would be a violation of rebellion law that could easily earn him a one-way ticket to suspension of his privileges for at least a month. _That's not the kind of time I have if what I believe about that Zabrak turns out to be true _Archimedes said to himself. He thanked Virgil for his help and left him to return to the poetry he was working on. Of all the things Archimedes came to learn and understand during this rebellion's existence, how Virgil found time to write poetry and why he did was still far beyond him. And perhaps it would always remain beyond him considering he was no poet himself compared to the great Virgil whose poetry had caused his exile as it was anti-Laertes in its spirit.


	30. ToB: Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Jedi Master Othone sensed something was up long before he knew what it was. But when he knew the cause for the racket downstairs as well as the soldiers rushing with their weapons toward the front of the Palace, he didn't like what he suspected it was. "Master Othone, would you care to join us in our final efforts to crush the rebellion? We now have the means to do it and are preparing our troops to fulfill my plans," Laertes asked, dressed in full battle armor with the cyborg Coriolanus next to him.

"How could I refuse the wish of his Majesty? Besides, it is my honor to continue to serve and protect you," Darius replied with false enthusiasm. "I'm pleased to hear your willingness to cooperate, the Mystics are readying for the battle in case we need them and their leader will be out to join us in a few short moments. In the meantime, would you like to walk beside my father and me as we march to our ultimate victory?" Laertes continued.

"What has you so confident after so many assassination attempts on you?" Darius inquired. "That was when I didn't know the locations of all twelve of their bases plus their capital city. Before then, it seemed as though they came out of nowhere and disappeared back into it unless I managed to kill them. Now, thanks to a spy I have inside, I have the chance to destroy them all in a manner that won't allow them to unite their forces until they're too weak to fight me even if they did unite their forces against me," Laertes explained.

_A spy within their defenses, could that be the murderer of Ozymandias whose somehow managed to escape me for this long? _Darius asked himself silently. Perhaps coming on this mission would help him find out if that was true. Unless this was precisely what the murderer wanted him to do in order to remain on the run from him. _Only way to be sure is join Laertes and see if the man or woman will show up to the battlefield with our troops _he told himself reluctantly.

After he agreed to leave with King Laertes and Coriolanus, Darius returned to his room and sent out a transmission to Coruscant. "Master Othone, glad to see you alive I am," said Master Yoda finally received his transmission. "I am glad to see you too Master Yoda, however, I must deliver the news of my mission to you quickly," Othone said rapidly. "Then deliver your news, you must," Yoda replied.

"Firstly, it seems as though my mission to aid and protect Laertes is nearing an end. However, I'm still investigating the murder of Ozymandias and I believe that Laertes will lead me right to him in the battle we are about to commit to. It may be my only shot in my remaining years to also gain any clues as to my suspicions about the possible return of the Sith," Othone explained. "Then may the Force be with you on this last detail of your mission," Yoda said.

Othone bowed then disconnected the transmission to Coruscant, but wondered if it would be the last time he would see Yoda or any of the Jedi. He wondered if he would ever return alive from this mission or if he would return at all. After all, he had had premonitions of a man with Zabrak horns (from anywhere but Iridonia), red and black markings, and a double-sided lightsaber striking him down with light blue rays of Force lightning. If this was indeed the man behind the death of Ozymandias, he would surely want to cut any loose ends and that included Master Othone.

And why wouldn't he want to if Othone endangered his identity or the identity of a possible client with his presence on Nyx? _Maybe it's just paranoid delusions from having an aged mind. But the vision was so real when it came to me during the night, I don't think I would have needed to tell Yoda for him to see it on my face _he thought in silence. He decided at last to meditate on it whilst traveling to the site of the final stand of the rebels that had been threatening Laertes' life for months.

** Archimedes couldn't believe that** Virgil would refuse to help him after all they had been through together. For as long as Archimedes could remember, his olden friend had stood by his side and helped him through every adventure they had had since Archimedes arrived to Nyx nearly two decades ago when he had been banished from the Republic space. His only hope was that he was wrong about his suspicions of treachery on Maul's part because if not, the rebellion would soon be in huge trouble whether anyone believed his claims or not. To make matters worse, the Muun had told him that he no longer had use for the rebellion or Archimedes and that both would soon be disposed of.

"I'm securing all my loose ends in this matter and though it pains me saying it that _includes _you. Nothing personal, it's just proper business when it comes to something on this bloated scale. I never intended for the rebellion to reach this cancerous point but it will soon be cut off at the source plus you never paid off your debts to me so I am only taking proper precautions to prevent further disappointment from you," he explained before disconnecting and cutting off Archimedes' ability to transmit messages outside of the planet. Sad thing was that was the scientist's only line to the outside galaxy and the damned Muun had cut it off like it was nothing and he had no backup one installed.

"Curse you Hego Damask! Curse you and your damned Damask Holdings to whatever hell they're may be waiting for dishonest bankers like you!" Archimedes cursed aloud. Luckily, no one was around to hear him say that and ask neither who Hego Damask was nor what Damask Holdings was. Nonetheless, Archimedes knew only one thing: that his fate was inevitably sealed forever.

** Darth Maul packed what** few things he had brought and prepared to leave. With his mission inside the rebellion completed, he was ready to return to Laertes and see the end of this petty rebellion. But unfortunately, he was stopped by Virgil just as he was about to leave and asked what had him leaving so soon. "Oh I felt compelled to return to my base in case the King sent any troops there, it would be one of the first to be attacked if that were to happen," he said.

The first part was not true as Maul had already destroyed that base and slaughtered the people in the village with the help of his troops before killing them too. However, the second part would have been true if it still remained as it was on the very border of rebel territory and he would have to go by it on his way back regardless of what he had already done to it. "Very well, can't say I blame you for being homesick after spending weeks in this wretched place. I never even liked this city and anyway and was always glad to go back home," Virgil explained in agreement.

"I'm guessing there's a catch to this if that's what you're implying, isn't there?" Maul asked. "Montesquieu has ordered all high ranking Generals to stay here until he has come to a decision about whether or not to move against the King. It's going to be at least a week before he makes any decisions about it and I'm not looking forward to it any more than you are," Virgil answered with a nod. "That is one week I cannot afford to wait on," Maul replied.

"Stop, I have the authority to forcibly take you in much as I hate the idea. Unless Archimedes was right and you are the traitor we're looking for," Virgil ordered. "You have no idea who you are talking to, old man. I don't want to hurt you but if I have to do anything, I will definitely be doing more than that," Maul snarled.

"Come with me traitor, very nice and very easy or I _will _kill you instead," Virgil warned calmly. "Don't be so certain," Maul replied before igniting one end of his lightsaber and beheading Virgil in a single, fluid stroke of the blood-red blade. "I'm sorry," Maul said, something he never said before, as Virgil's head rolled across the cold floor. Then he walked off into the blackness of the night, never to be seen again by any amongst the rebels.

Maul knew it wouldn't take long for someone to find Virgil's decapitated body nor did he intend to make it very long. All he intended to do was leave the base and head back to the King and report success to his master before returning to Coruscant. Assuming, of course, that the Jedi Knight named Othone didn't interfere with his departure and Archimedes failed to release the Monster as he had threatened. However, it was those two things that compelled him to stay on Nyx a little while longer just to make sure they didn't occur and make sure they weren't loose ends in his mission.

** With the rebellion doomed,** there was only one thing left to do for Doctor Archimedes. In order to ensure that the Monster was released, he had to usher in the final stages of his plans much quicker than planned but it was still possible. Accessing the computer he used to control Coriolanus, he saw the old man was next to his son. "Coriolanus, kill Laertes for the sake of the rebellion!" he ordered.

_That Muun bastard thinks he can just dispose of Archimedes, doesn't he? Now he will know the true power of the Monster I intend to release unto this wretched planet _he vowed to himself. The good thing about releasing the Monster was that even if Coriolanus failed to assassinate Laertes, it would only require the death of a King plus the massacre of thousands of rebels to release the beast from its chains under the ground. Smiling, Archimedes enjoyed the fact that now he could just sit back and wait for the Monster to send the war and conflict, absorb the soul of one of the Kings, and come to life as symbolized by the glowing orange-red light he was told to expect from the beast.

** Laertes was set up** along the north pass that led into the Apollo Plains with one hundred and twenty thousand troops when he was informed of the good news he expected. "Sir, the men you sent ahead are set up at the eight nearest rebel bases from your position. Shall we commence with the attack?" asked General Perseus with much excitement in his old voice. "Yes dear old friend, begin the attack and do not stop until not a single rebel soldier so much as crawls across the ground," he answered.

A messenger came up to him after that and informed him that only seventy-five hundred rebels guarded the northern pass and there was only that one route to and from the capital city of the scum. "Go in but making sure to keep them under pressure with as much firepower as you can. Try to make them retreat into the plains on the other side if possible before deciding to destroy them in the pass itself," Laertes ordered. "Are you going to lead this one lord?" the messenger asked courteously.

"No, that will not be necessary and I only want to see their 'capital city' before I destroy it completely," he answered. The messenger bowed and left him alone after hearing those angry, hate-fueled comments from his liege. And just as he turned to go see the Mystic in his personal tent, six of his guards fell to blades that looked like they had been shot out of something but with deadly speed and accuracy. He turned to see Coriolanus raise his left arm in front of his face and eject twelve more that killed the last of his guard and left them alone with each other.

"So Archimedes did resurrect you to kill me after all, didn't he?" Laertes asked, unsurprised. "You and Claudius will both face my wrath for betraying me the way you did all those years ago," Coriolanus blatantly replied. "Good thing I saw to it that you had no lasers to use against me if this were to happen. Guess it was wise of me to mistrust you and Archimedes despite you proving your loyalty to me," Laertes stated. Coriolanus picked up two swords from the fallen soldiers and pointed them at his son. Reluctantly, Laertes drew the Sword of the King and launched the first attack in their painful fight.


	31. ToB: Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Othone heard the conflict long before he saw Coriolanus Draco attacking his own son with two swords stolen from guards killed in defending Laertes. "No Jedi, do not interfere in this matter!" Laertes shouted when he heard Othone ignite his lightsaber and prepare to lunge at the King's dangerous assailant. "He will kill you if I do not!" Othone shouted back to Laertes. "Better that than not having an honorable fight as the Code of Nyx requires of any King," Laertes replied before resuming the fight with his cyborg father.

It was while Othone was thinking about what to do that he felt slight vibrations under the earth. He wasn't sure what to make of them and decided to see if there was something underground that was moving. Placing his fingers on the dirt, he connected with the Force and used the nerves on his fingertips as substitute ears to listen to the ground. What he was hearing however, was beyond anything he could possibly comprehend.

**The Monster revealed signs** of life shortly after Archimedes gave the order for Coriolanus to kill Laertes. Smiling, he watched as red lines slowly faded to life across the beast's entire body and even saw the beginnings of movement in its red eyes. "After many years of searching and planning, at last, I will be able to use your power to take revenge first on Laertes then on the rest of the galaxy!" Archimedes declared with excitement. The beast made a low reverberating growl and Archimedes told it to feed on the souls of the rebels and use them to hasten its return to the world above until it obtained the soul of a King.

Using a device he had tinkered with and perfected over the years, the Monster was feeding on the souls of the dead at an excessively fast rate that impressed Archimedes. He was disappointed when even after the rebels had been pushed to their capital city and were being wiped out, he still needed the soul of a King to free the creature. _Guess some things just can't be changed by a device you plug up to a beast thought to be of magic but is merely a machine fueled by the magic of the Mystics _he thought silently. However, as he took a closer look at the beast, he noticed it was not mechanical but biomechanical, making it a cyborg like Coriolanus only much more massive.

Nonetheless, as more than three hundred thousand rebels were massacred, Archimedes managed to use their souls to free all but the creature's arms and he assumed this way it needed the soul of a King to leave its prison behind. With the strength of only a King's soul, it could pull itself out and threaten the world again and since Archimedes had pitched two against each other it would only be a matter of time before the victor provided the Monster with that one last soul. He decided to check up on Coriolanus while he waited for the delivery of that necessary soul and was impressed to see that the cyborg had pushed Laertes to the Lava Fields of Vulcan. Unless Laertes had something in mind, it looked like Coriolanus was going to push him into one of the lava pools and be the one to provide the soul of a vanquished King which put a smile on Archimedes' face.

** Laertes had fought for his** life thus far and managed to work up a plan to defeat his father. It was dangerous but he had faith that he could pull it off if everything went right as it presently was. "Father, I was not the one who betrayed you and tried to kill you! Don't you remember any of that?" he asked, hoping there was still a chance to stop this duel peacefully. "I do remember but I also remember who helped him pull off such a treacherous stunt," Coriolanus answered.

"I had nothing to do with Claudius' plot to kill you and leave the throne to me! If it weren't for him, I would have been content to wait until you passed away peacefully before ascending to the Throne you would've left," Laertes replied. Of course, the first part was a lie as he had helped Claudius set the traps months before Claudius launched the final stages of his plan to bring peace to the planet. Unfortunately, Coriolanus knew this too and called Laertes out on his bluff for all it was worth to either man.

However, Laertes did not lie about the second part and indeed would have been content to wait his turn were it not for Claudius' enticing plot. Had Coriolanus believed his first bluff, he would have added that Claudius was the real enemy and not him all that time. That would also have been true if revenge was what Coriolanus sought for their treacherous conspiracy against him. But he did admit that the reasons for his joining Claudius were nearly identical to Claudius' reasons for starting it.

As he now fought the man who helped conceive him in his mother's womb and had trained him how to fight with a sword from the time he could stand, he exhaled a sigh of regret as he prepared for the final part of his plan. Just before Coriolanus could slash across his abdomen with both of his blades, Laertes jumped over him and slashed him vertically across his back. Then he landed back on his feet and kicked his father in the same place, causing Coriolanus to trip over a rock and plunge into one of the lava pools that had been behind Laertes. As he watched his father burn and sink in the lava, Laertes looked back and apologized for his deed as sincerely as he could possibly do so.

Coriolanus Draco had been his son's hero as well as his father. It was this man who had taught him right from wrong, told him about how to rule wisely and gave examples of ancestors who had not. This man was the man who gave Laertes his own reason for loving his wife and unborn twins as Coriolanus had tried to take revenge against his own father on behalf of Laertes' mother. But most importantly, this man brought the one woman who kept the family united and happy when nothing else did: the late ex-Princess Ophelia.

**Darius Othone remained at** the camp and could not understand why the vibrations had increased instead of mellowing out. Again, he put his fingers to the ground but felt a presence moving and shaking its way free from the soft underground. He realized that this was something far bigger than a mere plate moving across the planet: it was the Monster Laertes said was mentioned by his spy in the rebellion. He wondered who this spy was and if he truly was loyal to Laertes alone or if there was some other reason he did all this.

** Maul sensed the disruptions in the earth** long before he saw the source of them. Traveling on his speeder _Bloodfin_, he saw a massive hand surge its way out of the ground and slap smack down near him and destroying entire mountains as it did so. In the distance, he saw yet another hand rise out of the mountain in that same exact way and destroy even more mountains and leaving only a couple dozen between them. _This could only mean one thing: Archimedes has succeeded in releasing the Monster from its confines _he thought to himself as he raised the speed on his speeder as fast as he could make it go.

Rocks more than five times Maul's size barely missed hitting him and one even managed to tear off bits of his cloak. However, he made it safely out of the danger zone and decided to inform Laertes that he was on his way to meet up with him. When Laertes finally answered the transmission, he reminded Maul about the flag he had given him before he left and told him to wave it when he encountered the soldiers of the King so he didn't get accidentally shot at by them. Maul nodded and told him he would be meeting him soon but Laertes warned him of the Jedi and added that Othone was presently in his company.

"Then I will try to avoid being spotted as best I can, I'll even see if I can find a way to your tent that involves going around where he will surely be," he said. "Sounds good to me but remember, I'm not helping you out if he decides to attack you if he finds you. I'm even pretending you came to kill me just so he doesn't suspect me of treachery if that makes it interesting for you," Laertes replied. "That will be the perfect excuse for me to have some real fun instead of more rebel rabble," Maul stated before disconnecting the transmission.

** Laertes chuckled at Maul's reply** about how they would deal with the Jedi Master Othone. Why Maul had such an interest in killing Jedi remained beyond the King but he had no doubt that it had at least partly to do with Ophelia. He had seen the way Maul held back in telling him about her death and Claudius' confinement on Coruscant until Laertes insisted for long enough and patiently enough. Laertes even took it a step further and guessed that since the Jedi Codex strictly forbid love, Maul also was angered by how she could not explicitly express her love for him.

Laertes could understand that very well as he was sure there was no way he could live with such a rule intact and enforced in his daily life. "Your Majesty, something has risen from the ground with dark intentions for this planet. I can feel it through the Force!" Othone said, interrupting his thoughts. "If you can feel it through the Force then you are sensing what we know only as 'the Monster', an elemental, biomechanical beast created by the Mystics in the Forgotten Times of our history," Laertes explained.

"What can it do?" Othone asked. "Long ago, when it was created, the people of the neighboring moon of Ares attacked our world and were on the verge of conquering us when the Mystics created a weapon meant to counter their seemingly invincible armies and armadas. Instead, we created a being that wiped out their entire race, destroyed all of their artifacts, and left their moon a lifeless husk of what it once was before it turned on us also. Thirteen Mystics gathered and twelve sacrificed their lives to give their Master immortality as well as the power to seal the Monster away forever.

"For more than a decade, Archimedes has been obsessed with releasing it for the sake of finding out whether its power would be of use to him in his plot to avenge his exile by order of the Supreme Chancellor. From what you're saying and if the earthquakes are signs, it would appear that Archimedes has succeeded in his life's greatest dream," Laertes answered. "The beast will be coming out of the ground at any moment, won't it?" Othone inquired. "Thanks to the death of my father, as the soul of a King is required to completely free it, it will be if it's not a myth as he believes," the King replied grimly.

Just then, a soldier came in and told Laertes that something had burst its way out of the mountains and was climbing out of the ground as they stood speaking. "Looks like Archimedes was right when he said it wasn't a myth. Lure the Monster toward the rebel capital, maybe it can do our work for us before we have the Mystic destroy it," Laertes ordered. "Are you mad?" Othone asked, bewildered.

"Why not? If what the Mystics say about its powers is true, it could take the chore of finishing the rebels off our hands. Besides, our remaining Mystic will need to be able to attack its supposed weakness on the back of its neck after it destroys the rebel city," Laertes asked back at the Jedi. "You are a fool if you believe you can destroy it if it feeds on destruction as is demonstrated through it absorbing the souls of the dead and making them its fuel," Othone stated.

"It's not a deity of destruction otherwise that would be true therefore, it only feeds on the souls of the dead rather than the destruction it causes. We can defeat it if we can just get to its weakness in the back of its neck then let the Mystic have at it," Laertes replied. Othone was about to storm out but he stopped in his track and groaned in pain, saying it was due to him sensing a dark presence through the Force. "I think it's time you met my spy without whom none of this would have been possible," said Laertes with enthusiasm.


	32. ToB: Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

"Maul, meet Jedi Master Darius Othone and Darius Othone, meet Maul. You see Othone, unlike you Jedi, Maul had no reservation about going behind enemy lines and destroying them from the inside. Plus he does have a grudge against you Jedi for forcing my sister to hide her love for him when they collaborated to bring our brother Claudius to Republic justice," Laertes said. "So this is the dark warrior that left her lightsaber at the foot of our Temple with the note on the hilt?" Othone asked.

"I was surprised I could even pull it off myself," Maul answered. Darius noted the tone and suspected that it wasn't fear for being detected so much as a mere disgust for the very ways of the Jedi. He also noticed from Maul's body language that Laertes had lied through his teeth about the Zabrak not holding a grudge against them for what happened with Ophelia. "We don't have to do this, your Majesty," he began.

"On the contrary, it is a _necessity _as a result of what your precious Jedi Code did to my sister in her final hours. And since Maul would rather strike you down then speak about it, let me tell you," Laertes interrupted. Darius had a feeling he wasn't going to avoid this so he let the King continue. "As I recall Maul telling me when he finally revealed the status of my sister, she had come to love him despite the fact that he was normally just a cold-blooded killer and had even killed her Master shortly before they met (yes he did kill Master Odette).

"She loved him like she had loved no other man before and even offered herself to him just for a chance to be with him. But your precious Code forbid the act be carried out and Ophelia slowly withered until she had a chance to make up for it at Heraklion Prime. Following your Code, as well as her own heart, she fought our brother Claudius while Maul was down and gave her life so he could defeat Claudius, obliterate Lord Vitiate, and bring the former man to Republic Justice! Your Code cost me a sister but it cost him the only person who would probably ever love him in his life," Laertes explained, fiery anger just beneath the surface of his already snarling voice and clenched fists.

"She loved this savage beast despite what he did to her Master?" Darius asked, surprise clearly emanating from his tongue. "Yes, she saw good in him when even you Jedi did not and most certainly wouldn't. Now that I have told you the story, allow me to turn you over to Maul so he can unleash the passionate fury he's stored up for precisely an occasion like this," Laertes answered. It was then that Maul ignited one side of his lightsaber and attacked with all the power he could give to the demands of Form VII, Juyo.

While Maul pushed Master Othone away from his tent, Laertes went to check up on his Mystic and to see if the Monster had been turned toward the rebels for full access to his weakness. "My power will more than likely be spent by the end of this for I intend to destroy it if I can," the Mystic told his faithful King. "I expect nothing than for you to give it all you have and if Maul survives his little skirmish with the Jedi, I'll have him finish it for you if you can't destroy it," Laertes said with an enthusiastic smile on his darkened face.

**"We don't have to do** this Maul! I can find a way to have the Code amended when I return to Coruscant in two days," Darius begged. "Don't speak, just die!" Maul replied with disgust barely disguised. After making that comment, Maul swung toward Othone's head with the intent to slice his upper skull region completely off.

Othone deflected the blow with a parry and made an underhand swoop with his purple blade in the hopes of slicing this younger, more arrogant bastard in two. Maul successfully deflected that blow as well and scoffed at how pathetic it was to attempt that against him while he could still follow every move the old Jedi made. "If you will not stop this, then I must instruct you in something you may never have seen before: allow me to school you in Vaapad," Othone replied, calmly accepting that Maul wouldn't stop unless dead.

He switched from the Soresu parries and deflects he had been using and attacked with the full force and might of a wielder of Vaapad, keeping enough open space for Ataru if he ever needed it. Nonetheless, the fact that Vaapad was apparently strange to Maul, his skill in it was enough to cause Maul to begin retreating and losing ground to the Jedi. Even with his apparently impressive skills at Juyo, Maul couldn't stop Othone from advancing with this new and deadly technique.

** Laertes noticed the Monster** was taking the bait he framed the rebels for having and now the back of its neck was exposed. "Can you see its weak spot from so far away?" he asked the Mystic. "The skies act as extra eyes, therefore I see everything," the Mystic tonelessly answered. Laertes smiled, knowing now that it would only be a matter of time before the rebels met their swift end and he would set the example of a benevolent, wise King that his descendants would remember in years long past his demise.

_I may not be as bright or long-sighted as Claudius but I am bright enough to make my own destiny on my own goals rather than those of my foolish younger brother _Laertes said to himself. He did have to admit that Claudius' scheme was brilliant and nearly succeeded but it fell to one flaw: the anger and untainted hatred of a young man who had just lost the woman he loved. Now, he had turned that flaw into a strength that helped him gain some measure of revenge against the Jedi while keeping his own hands clean of it. Not what Claudius would call brilliant but definitely something that hadn't been planned by an idiot.

He observed as the Mystic called upon the lightning bolts to attack the targeted Achilles heel with a simple chant and pointing his staff in the direction of his target. The amazing thing about this attack was that the Monster was paying no attention to the Mystic's attempts and it was then that Laertes decided to let it run its course and turn to face them when finished with the rebels. "If what you said is true about your ability to use the sky as an extra set of eyes I don't think it'll be necessary for you to have your physical eyes see it for you to target it," Laertes added to his powerful Mystic. "As my lord commands," the Mystic replied, again without a tone in his voice.

** Archimedes saw the path his** precious creature had taken and was not pleased. Still, he was impressed with its tremendous power as well as the grace and speed it took in annihilating his fellow rebels. Lasers shooting out of its eyes in the fashion of a scanner, fireballs thrown from its mouth or hands, and footsteps that literally fiercely and endlessly shook the ground for miles across the planet. It was everything he ever dreamed of and so much more despite what it was doing to the rebels rather than the King and his soldiers.

Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that now it was up to him to kill Laertes if he wanted it done. After all, armies had failed to defeat him in battle, Coriolanus failed to assassinate him when he was _so close _to him, and the Monster was wiping out the rebels instead of the King's soldiers as had been intended. Packing up a pistol, readying his speeder bike, and destroying everything in his lair, he set off to do what he had vowed to do years before: kill King Laertes. It took all of his efforts not to look back on what had been his home for more than two decades for fear it would make him go back and forget about killing the King personally.

**"You're getting tired boy,** mind if I put you to sleep?" Darius Othone asked Maul. "Contrary to what you believe, I have not even begun to fight. Allow me to introduce you to a whole new weapon you probably have never seen before," Maul answered. Before Othone could interject that he had seen everything, Maul ignited the other end of his double-sided lightsaber and started spinning and twirling it to the surprise of the aged Jedi Knight.

"Now I've seen everything," the Jedi stated during a pause in their ferocious duel to the death. Maul smiled and used his lightsaber as a means of forcing Darius on the retreat, drawing upon the powers of the Dark Side as he did so. It was clear that Darius had never encountered such a weapon before when he was barely able to fend off all of Maul's strikes and some had even grazed the old man's flesh. In addition to the already surprising skill of the style, Maul was adding on the aggression and principles of Juyo as he had done earlier.

"Who taught you how to fight like this? A rogue Jedi that turned away from our Order, a Dark Jedi, who?" Darius asked out of curiosity. "No one of consequence to you, besides, he is easily more powerful than any of your Jedi and not naïve enough to have ever learned at their feet!" Maul answered, his tone indicating a thirst only for blood. The duel continued with the same ferocious passion that it had earlier in the rainy day that overshadowed them, the raindrops burning into steam on their glowing blades.

"Maul, if it is true that you are the warrior who brought Claudius to justice and brought back Ophelia's lightsaber then I can help you. Let me sooth the flames of your anger and take you back to the Temple with me or else calm down and let me leave Coruscant to make a motion on the Council to remove our rule on love," Darius asked, trying to bring it to a diplomatic end. Maul said nothing until they were at a crossing of blades that lasted only a few long minutes as they looked each other in the eye. Then Maul said, "Don't speak Jedi, just die," before continuing the duel and pressing his attack on Othone.

Othone suddenly gained the advantage by making Maul lose his grip on his lightsaber than batting it out of his hands in the midst of his fury. After that, he used the Force to push his younger opponent several feet back, Maul rolling on his face and back as he did so until he landed in an awkward kneeling position. "I have faced far more powerful people than you, please don't make me destroy you," Darius begged. "And I have faced more powerful entities than _you_ and what's more I have _killed _them all!" Maul shouted before unleashing volt of Force lightning so powerful that Othone could barely deflect it with the Force barrier he created.

Now Darius knew that Maul was the red and black Zabrak of the premonitions he had before joining Laertes' campaign against the last of the rebels. Maul roared in a bloodcurdling rage as he poured Force lightning from his fingertips and unto Darius' barrier. As it was, Darius did not know if he would survive to see another day due to the visions never saying and worse still, he saw that Maul was slowly marching toward him while still keeping up the electric barrage. It was all Darius could do to keep up his barrier even as he knew the results of the clashing powers becoming bottled up for even a few seconds due to Maul's dangerous move.

"Soon Jedi, your head will be another trophy in the meaning I have in my collection. I defeated Claudius and Lord Vitiate when their souls tied together to form Claudiate, a being who drew on the power of the Force itself. I _will _defeat you even if you survive this little spectacle and I _will _kill you even if it means chasing you back to Coruscant," Maul vowed. Then Maul the final push and extended his hands until they almost touched Darius', causing their power to transform into a small ball of energy that exploded within moments of being created.

The explosion was so powerful that it sent both of them flying across the field like rag dolls. Maul landed on a rock wall with his back, causing temporary paralysis but he was soon back on his feet. Meanwhile, Darius Othone wound up impaled on a sharp spike in one of Laertes' regiments of natural defense. He knew that although the move would be enough to slow him down, its deadliness laid not in the damage it immediately did to him so much as in a poison poured on it before it began use.

It was a colorless liquid native to Nyx that first made an enemy lose his mind then killed him through an unspeakably painful death unless someone put him out of his misery before that could happen. Darius sliced enough of the spike off for ease of escaping it with his recovered lightsaber then held placed his left hand across his belly while holding his activated lightsaber in his right hand. Maul was quick to reappear as if he were a predator smelling blood on a wounded item of prey instead of a dark warrior fighting a Jedi Master. Smiling, Maul resumed the duel and used the poison's maddening effect to his advantage in Darius' final minutes of life.

"Your scientist Ozymandias screamed like a little girl as I sliced him in two. How does that knowledge make you _feel_, Master Darius Othone?" he mocked. Darius never realized it but the poison was fast acting and he lost all sense of sanity right when Maul confessed he killed Ozymandias. Switching into Djem So, Darius hacked and lashed like a wild cur at Maul who now simply toyed with him and even kicked him in the face thus throwing him down to the dirt below them.

"Your rage unbalances you and your insanity makes you sloppy. That is not the Jedi way, is it?" Maul continued, enjoying every second of this final assault on Master Othone. Darius charged at him but Maul simply used one side of his lightsaber to spin himself around and behind the old man before kicking him in the back with both his feet. The blow was enough to knock Darius down yet again but in his insanity, he did not see his doom arriving even when the explosive headaches that signaled the deadlier effects began.

Finally, after much mockery and merely playing around with Darius, Maul struck down the old man. In a single blow, Maul managed to cut off half of Darius' head cleanly and he watched as Othone's body fell, twitched, then stopped moving altogether. Maul relished in his victory despite the battlefield beginning to burn all around him as the Monster made its efforts against the people of Nyx and Laertes himself. But even as he enjoyed dispatching yet another Jedi, there was a sense of emptiness that accompanied it: was _this_, this beastly nature he literally enjoyed,what Ophelia managed to see past enough to love him?

What would she say if she knew he was taking revenge against the Jedi because of her death at Claudiate's hands on Heraklion Prime? Would she have encouraged his deeds or would she have been disgusted with him for even making these violent efforts in her beautiful name? Suddenly, he felt so ugly and guilty at what he had done that for a single moment, a tear actually fell from his eye. However, that moment was brief and in place of the Maul that would weep came a new man, one who would destroy the Jedi or die trying to: he now could truly call himself _Darth _Maul.

** Laertes knew one thing when** he saw the Mystic return from his tent with a spear in his hand after the latter had gone in to recuperate _and _bring out the only weapon known to control, let alone kill, the Monster. He knew that there wasn't much time left and either the Spear worked and destroyed the creature or Nyx would become the husk that the Ares moon was at present.


	33. ToB: Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Laertes asked the Mystic if he would be allowed to come along with him in slaying the Monster. "No, I defeated it all those years ago by myself. It is best I do it again and hopefully bring an end to it this time," the Mystic answered grimly. "Is it true what the legends say about it almost killing you to seal it away?" Laertes inquired.

"Yes and though the risks are high, I will see to it that this creature lies dead before the day is over. It may require sacrificing my immortality but if it works, my life and one airspeeder will be all you have to lose besides the soldiers already caught in its path," the Mystic said to his King. "I will provide you our fastest and have it set course for the beast immediately. As it will be on autopilot once you're in the air and on course, all you have to worry about is reaching the Monster and bringing it down before it can destroy all of us," Laertes said not without his lack of enthusiasm in this bold idea.

"I know you do not like the idea of ruling your kingdom without the wisdom of the Council of the Mystics. You will learn someday that being merely a human makes you stronger than a Mystic instead of weaker. For one thing, you do not have to rely on the faith and worship of humans to fuel your immortality and age when a year has been particularly bad," the Mystic told him with a sad smile. Laertes returned it with equal sadness in his heart at the thought of never again relying on the advice of the Mystic and his wise Council that had been there for his father and all of his ancestors since the beginning of the Erebus and Draco dynasties.

Though somewhat divided in the beginning of the Draco dynasty, the Mystics had gazed into the future and saw the toppling of the Erebus dynasty and quickly sided with the new and more powerful family. Now Laertes could've sworn he had received a glimpse of the future and seen only the death of his lifelong friend, teacher, and godfather. "If I send you on this, will there be a future for the practice of your magic and those who would seek to know how to use it?" Laertes asked. "No, you might as well destroy the temples and disband the priests now that I am on my way to my death," the Mystic answered calmly.

Laertes nodded then watched as the speeder began flight in the sky with the Mystic on its mast. It was the fastest of its model, the "lightning bolt" as Ophelia called them when she was little, and would transport the old man on his one-way trip to the Monster he himself helped to create. He stood where he was and watched the last of the Mystic Council ride off into the distance and into his death, tears slowly rolling down his eyes at the thought of losing the only man in his life that he could have considered a second father. Then his senses were brought back when he heard a pistol being cocked and footsteps were approaching him where he stood.

"Never planned for you to go out so sloppily but if you want something done right you have to do it yourself, don't you?" Archimedes asked in a rhetorical tone. "How come the plans of the geniuses always come undone by those with the power of the Force?" Laertes asked. "Be still and do not speak or move unless I tell you that you can, understand?" Archimedes replied. Laertes nodded a reply and Archimedes moved in closer, checking to see if he was armed before directing him back into the royal tent.

"For more than a decade, I was exiled to the mountains of Nyx all because you found my ideas insane and a hindrance to the growth of Nyx as an entire world. I couldn't let you continue to rule over shortsighted fools who couldn't see the profit such a powerful weapon as the Monster could be for your entire system. You could establish yourself as the new power of the galaxy and even the Jedi would have to bow down to you," Archimedes explained. "While the Jedi are meant to serve, they will only serve the principles of the Republic and would gladly lay down their lives to protect it," Laertes replied.

"So you fear what they could do if you did assault the galaxy? You, the king of the entire Nyx system including the extinct moon Ares, afraid of little Jedi in a little Republic?" Archimedes mocked. "If _you _aren't I would be concerned for your welfare," Laertes said, keeping a cool head in this dire situation. Then it occurred to him, if Maul won the duel he would be back at any moment.

That meant that if Laertes bought him enough time, he could end Archimedes once and for all. So he decided to use what perhaps was Archimedes' greatest skill- running at that small mouth of his like verbal diarrhea- to his advantage. "So did you want to find out the power of the Monster because of the legends or were you so jealous of my brother's findings in interdimensional travel that you needed something that could destroy him and give you free reign over the galaxy and the scientific community?" Laertes asked. Though strange, it was a question Archimedes would most definitely answer after giving it a little thought as he tended to do at times.

"Do not be a fool your system's economy is based on science and business, not military! Undoubtedly, your military could hold their own against the Republic forces but it isn't like military is the highest priority your people could have. Therefore, when I heard that there had been such a military power as the Monster in your history, I had to see if the legends were true or just myth," he explained. "We were not always about science and commerce, the people of the now-dead moon of Ares saw to that long before our first ancestors were conceived," Laertes replied in agreement.

"Silence, one more word and I blow your head off unless I say you can speak!" Archimedes snapped. "I don't think you'll need to worry about that for too much longer," Laertes replied. He had seen Maul outside, looking for him and about to assume he was in the tent and see Archimedes holding a blaster to him. Maul saw him and nodded immediately although Laertes gave no signal nor leaned his head to see Maul clearly enough to know what he would do to Archimedes.

However, Laertes didn't need to see or ask what Maul was planning when, only a few seconds after seeing him, a glowing red blade protruded through Archimedes' chest then disappeared faster than the blink of a human eye. Archimedes went limp and fell to the sand below him, his head making a thud sound went it came down along with the rest of his dead body. "One less competitor for your brother when he finally returns to the field of science, wouldn't you agree?" Maul asked in a rhetoric tone to Laertes. "Where's Master Othone?" Laertes asked, ignoring Maul's question to him.

"Dead as all the Jedi shall one day be," Maul answered. "His Order will not allow his death to go unnoticed nor will the HoloNet News now that I think of other industries standing to profit from this. The trail of blood you have left on this world will not go unnoticed but if you're cunning, I can take the blame for you and the Jedi could buy into it," Laertes said. "That doesn't sound too bad an idea if it weren't for one little problem: the Jedi are already aware of my existence, now they will need to know my plans for them if not to join their Order," Maul replied.

"You can't be serious!" Laertes shouted. "Send the body of Darius Othone back to them with a little note I myself will write if you provide the writing material. Your hands will be washed of my involvement after that unless you choose to thank me for helping you end the rebellion on Nyx," Maul replied calmly and almost soothingly. "What do you intend to write?" Laertes asked.

"_Jedi Knights of the Republic, you made Ophelia suffer because of your foolish rule forbidding love. Now with her dead, every single Jedi Knight, Master, Padawan, and Youngling will pay the price by my lightsaber skills. First this old man who foolishly challenged, now the rest of the Order and our war will not end until either I destroy you or lie dead at the hands of one of your warriors. This is retribution and reckoning for your Order will soon follow –Sincerely, the warrior who traveled with and loved Jedi Knight Ophelia Draco_," Maul answered.

"That is very dangerous Maul, are you sure you want to do this to the Order?" Laertes inquired. "I do this not just for me or for the master I serve, I do this for Ophelia and your family honor as well," Maul replied. "Then I guess there is no stopping you from seeking further conflict and bloodshed with the Jedi Order. While I can honestly say I don't doubt it's what you want there is one thing I still cannot decide with that certainty: is this what _she _would have wanted for you or me?" Laertes asked.

Maul bit his lower lip pondering that question before admitting that he didn't have an answer to it. "However, I will be given no room for such weaknesses by my Master when I return to our home on Coruscant. Understand that the Maul could feel sadness, care for others, and know pain is gone; replaced by this one, one who only knows anger, hatred, and vengeance. I am a man without hope, a man without a cause other than to destroy the Jedi and rule at my Master's side as second-in-command of the galaxy, understood?" Maul asked him.

Though Laertes honestly didn't understand what he meant by that, he nodded his head anyway in case Maul planned to kill him if he did not. "Then I guess we must get your things packed up and have you on your way back to Coruscant before the Jedi learn of your presence," Laertes said with a grim tone in his voice. Maul detected the grimness but he never did detect the disappointment in the King's voice. Though Laertes vowed to help Maul in anyway he could in the future, he wondered if Maul would ever appreciate or need Laertes' offer of help.

"I will let you know when I need your help, no sooner and no later than that. And the sooner I am on my way, the better for all of us," Maul added. "I will see to it that the next offworld transport goes to Coruscant, we owe the Chancellor a shipment anyway," Laertes said to him. "That won't be necessary, I came in a ship with a powerful cloaking shield and I will leave with it," Maul replied.

After that, Maul disappeared and Laertes never saw him again even when he made the arrangements to allow Maul to leave Nyx without a permit in or out of the planet. In truth, Laertes actually hoped he never had to deal with Maul again after all that. While he was indeed grateful for the young man's services on his behalf and his people revered Maul as a legendary icon and ordered a statue of him to be commissioned by the King, there was something eerie about him. It was something Laertes did not like about Maul and he wondered how Ophelia could ever have come to love such a monster but maybe he had overlooked exactly the reason why.

One night, three days after Maul left, Laertes was still pondering the boy's origins and wondered where he truly came from. Then he realized Maul had never established a place of origin besides Coruscant although that didn't sound like his original home with the way he said it. "If only Ophelia was here to help me decipher his identity, if only she were still alive. The people of Nyx could use her tender touch right now," he thought aloud for no one to hear.

** Sidious had received Maul's** final report and knew his apprentice had succeeded in yet another mission. However, it wasn't Maul's success that caught Sidious' attention so much as a chance in how his apprentice behaved and spoke around him. The Zabrak's voice had been quieter and more sadistic in its nature, something Sidious enjoyed hearing in his bloodthirsty apprentice. He also noticed that that tone was something his own master, Lord Plagueis, lacked to a point where Sidious began to consider him not a mentor or a friend but a liability in comparison to Maul.

"Interesting that you should think that of your apprentice when it was I who helped create the rebellion on Nyx," Plagueis said one day as Sidious reported his apprentice's success as well as his own thoughts on his transformation into a new and deadlier Sith warrior. "What? Why and how?" Sidious asked in shock. "Easy enough: you boasted of your apprentice's remorselessness as well as his ability to get a job done and with the way he had loved Ophelia, I knew I had to do what you could not and complete his transformation into our deadly weapon," Plagueis said, confusing Sidious even more.


	34. ToB: Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

"But how did you get into contact with Doctor Archimedes?" Sidious inquired. "Easy enough, he was a respectable client in Damask Holdings and we had always been ready to help him when he needed us to. I even personally delivered the loans and grants he needed to him and decided how big his budget could be as well as how much time he had to pay off the loans without interest or late fees," Plagueis answered. "And did this continue even after he was exiled to the mountains of Nyx?" Sidious asked.

"It did and it was I who funded his obsession on Nyx's legendary Monster although I never would have guessed that your apprentice would learn of its existence. It was a good test considering that I saw that Ophelia's death was having a negative impact on Maul's ability to serve us properly. Now that he has killed a powerful Jedi (yet another aspect of his mission I did not anticipate) and shown remorselessness in murdering Archimedes and Ozymandias, he is ready to continue his service to us, my young apprentice," Plagueis answered. "He will come back seeking vengeance against the rest of the Jedi Order, was that your aim all this time?" Sidious asked, hoping this was the last question he'd have to ask.

Plagueis answered simply by nodding and Sidious could not believe that his Master would do this to his apprentice. "I have nothing personal against him but you would not remove the weakness from him, forcing my hand in the issue. If I have to do this again then perhaps I will have to use him as a replacement for you," Plagueis warned. Sidious said he understood and left Plagueis to resume his work on finding the secret to immortality through the Force.

It was quest perhaps more obsessive in its nature than Archimedes' desire to see the power of the Monster, a biomechanical robot created through natural magic to protect the people of Nyx from a neighboring war loving world. The reason Sidious thought so was because unlike examining the explosive power of machine, Plagueis was obsessed on something that had only been achieved through the lost ceremony of essence transfer or the imperfect "Vitiate method" which was a method that involved the power of several dark lords (along with their combined life forces) merging with the Force power of an entire planet. At that price, he who successfully completed the ceremony could not only obtain but give it to others if they chose. As the Sith Emperor called Darth Vitiate was the only one to ever do this, this method was named after him by future Sith Lords who looked with awe, fear, and/or contempt for his foolish desires.

However, what neither Sith Lord realized was that Maul was the only one of their kind who knew the final fate of Lord Vitiate as he was the one who destroyed him forevermore. Sad thing was, neither Sidious nor Plagueis been told that part of his mission as he never mentioned any details of it except for his romance with Claudius' sister Ophelia and her death during the events of the mission to save Heraklion Prime. That must have been enough details for Plagueis to decide to strengthen his resolve and hasten his rise to the feared Sith Lord he was destined to become one day. After Sidious left his master to his work, he contacted his apprentice who was meditating in his chambers and congratulated him for the success of his mission to Nyx, something he seldom did in comparison to scolding him for any errors he made during any assignment issued by Sidious or Plagueis for that matter.

**Maul knew it was** difficult for his Master to compliment his flawless success without following it with a lecture on any and all errors that were made. He intended it to be that way as he despised the fact that his master would lecture on any one aspect of his mission for several minutes to a few hours as he usually did after Maul returned home. But this was special because unlike the mission he shared with Ophelia, this one took him to and over the limits of his ability to feel emotion. The best part was that he could now only feel the emotions necessary to employ the power of the Dark Side: hatred, anger, but particularly vengeance.

_Maul, Maul, can you hear me? _a voice whispered in his ear. _Ophelia, is that you returned to me from beyond the dead? _he asked. _Yes Maul, it's me but I can only be here a brief time unless you slip out of consciousness and come to the land between the realm of the dead and the domain of the living. I will take you there if you let me and we can talk more there _the voice replied to him softly.

Maul allowed his conscious mind to be transported to a place with black skies and grey mist all around him, visibility almost nonexistent all around him. Then he saw the familiar face and red hair of Ophelia Draco, the mist hiding her naked body from the shoulder down. "I am pleased to see you again Maul, I have missed you," she said. "As did I, love," he replied.

"Did you?" she asked. "I don't understand what you mean," he answered. "You may have avenged my death by destroying Vitiate and bringing my brother to justice in my stead but what did you do after that? You expanded your revenge to include the entire Jedi Order, something I never would have wanted in life!" she explained.

"They forbid you from loving me for the good you saw in me, they _deserve _that fate!" Maul exclaimed. "So Darius Othone deserved to be forced into defending himself from the wrong end of your blade? He deserved to be mocked until he went insane then put out of his misery by _your _hand?" Ophelia inquired, demandingly. Maul thought about that and realized he had no answer for that.

"I am truly at a loss for words, I don't know how to reply to that," he finally admitted grimly. "Then let me speak: you have somehow made yourself think that you're avenging both of our honors by killing Jedi Knights, my family if you will, and you won't stop until you've destroyed them all. I do not lecture you in this because I despise you or your actions (though I loath the latter from the bottom of my now-immortal heart) but because I still love you and I still see good in you. It is not too late for you to come to the light, control your fear and let go of your anger; I beg you," she explained.

"The Maul who would have been persuaded by your words is dead. Out of the ashes of the fires that burned him as risen the true Darth Maul, avenger of those wronged like you and me as well as apprentice to the most powerful man in this galaxy. If you do not like what I am doing for us then stay out of my way as I act as your sword now that you are dead," he replied, his tone's viciousness rising with every passing second. "I will never give up on you Maul because one day, you will be faced with a traumatic change from everything you know that will transform you into something else," Ophelia began.

When Maul had nothing to say immediately, she continued with her prophecy. "Whether the change will come tomorrow or in twenty years is beyond me as souls do not know the past but also don't see the future until it's right at their doorstep. You will have to make a new beginning for yourself and while you may have help, you will eventually have to make the difficult choices by yourself. Your master will not be there to decide your fate forever after all," she concluded.

Then she began to walk back towards the realm of the dead and Maul tried to stop her form leaving him again. "If you love me Maul, you will know what you have to do when the time comes for that change. Always remember me but do not fight to avenge me," she said. Then she was gone and he returned to the room he shared in his master's headquarters on Coruscant.

Maul gave his head a good shaking to see if he could erase the memory of his vision from his mind forever. Unfortunately, the last words Ophelia had said before she left him still stuck with him like irremovable glue or a piece of metal melted by a lightsaber then attached to a solid bit of material. _Remember me but do not fight to avenge me _she had said to him with the same tone she would use before kissing him during their mission. Nonetheless he knew one thing: he had perfected the meaning of the Dark Side and now would have nothing to interfere with his focus in future assignment provided by his shadowy master.

It was a feeling that Maul had never known in his life but one that was so good that it was almost painful for him to imagine having. He continued with his meditation and was undisturbed for the rest of the night, even when he awoke to practice his lightsaber skills on the training droids Sidious left behind for him. Since Sidious and Plagueis were both away, Maul had the fortress all to himself and enjoyed the benefit of not having someone hover over him or watch him via hologram for once. Unfortunately, it didn't mean he didn't have instructions: never leave the house from Sidious' note and a note from Plagueis insisting on a serum injection that was supposedly capable of increasing his performance in both lightsaber combat and Force powers.

What he would never know however was that the serum had other properties as opposed to performance increase. He observed it whenever he gave into his hatred while fighting the combat droids and concluded it wasn't merely a performance enhancer. It was also something fueled by the Dark Side of the Force and only took effect when those who had it in their blood gave into the power of the Dark Side. But there was one more effect that he never learned about until it was too late.

**"Mother Talzin, such an** honor to hear from you again after so long," Plagueis said. "The honor is returned Lord Plagueis. Has the serum been delivered to Maul yet?" she asked. "By now, he should have taken it especially since I left instructions that classified it as a performance enhancer rather than what you said it was," he answered.

"It was an enhancer as well as what I said it was but keep in mind that I had hoped it would be a little longer before he faced what would have been his death. But when you reported that he would be part of your Grand Plan in a few months, you forced my hand," she said. "I assure you that it would not have happened had my apprentice let him weaken the way he did after he watched his precious Ophelia die at the hands of her brother," he replied. "Spare me the apologies, I know that you didn't mean to do what you did but I appreciate your understanding and cooperation nonetheless," she assured him.

"So where exactly does this young man fit into your plans for Dathomir and the galaxy if you don't mind me asking?" he asked. "Maul is a son of Dathomir and therefore one of my slaves by right of birth, however, his destiny is to help me reach a point of power no mother of the tribes has ever reached or thought of before. He and his brother will be a help to me when the time comes for me to use them to my advantage and I assure you they will not conflict with your interests when that time does come," she answered. "Then our business together is herewith dissolved?" he inquired with one raised eyebrow on his face.

Talzin nodded and thanked him for his help in keeping Maul safe until she was ready to use him for her grand schemes for her world. When her hologram dissolved, Plagueis sighed with relief that he was at last done with that witch forever. Though Talzin had a good sense of business and carried with her a stubborn sense of honor and dignity, she made him shutter from his head down to his feet. Whether it had something to do with the magic she wielded as the head of a tribe of Nightsisters or if it was because he couldn't quite read her emotions was beyond him but now it no longer mattered.

** Qui-Gon Jinn and his Padawan** attended the funeral procession for Darius Othone who returned to them decapitated and a bloody hole in his chest from a round weapon of sorts. His lightsaber was intact and buried with him as was Jedi custom whenever funerals were underway. "Do you think some Dark Jedi might have killed Master Othone? It doesn't seem right to me," Obi-wan asked, somewhat confused by the circumstances of Othone's horrible demise.

"No I do not my young Padawan, after all, I have known Master Othone for decades and he had been like a father to me. His skills with a lightsaber have only been equaled or outmatched by a few: myself, Master Yoda, Master Windu, Mistress Odette and Master Sora Bulq. The latter two were the co-founders of Othone's specialty style," Qui-Gon explained. "Are you saying it would take someone more powerful than a mere Dark Jedi to defeat him in lightsaber combat?" Obi-wan inquired.

"Dark Jedi are powerful, they just lack the focus to channel their powers into a duel long enough to defeat someone as powerful as Master Othone. As long as they remain between the Light and Dark sides of the Force, even if they are more one than the other, they cannot hope to defeat a full-fledged Jedi Master with Othone's amazing skill. However, he did predict the return of the Sith and used the corruption of the Senate as a means of recognizing the powerful manipulation effects the Dark Side can have," Qui-Gon told him firmly. "I thought you only focused on the here and now instead of the future or the past," Obi-wan replied.

"This is the present and sometimes, it calls for details from the past and visions of the future in order to solve its mysteries. However, your mind should be predominantly focused on the present day," Qui-Gon said. "And what do you conclude Master?" Obi-wan asked. "That it might be best to investigate his death while on our next mission and see if we can find out anything about it," Qui-Gon answered.

The two would have talked more on the matter had Yoda not called Qui-Gon over and asked to speak with him alone. "I'll be starting an investigation unless you say otherwise if you need me," Obi-wan whispered. Qui-Gon nodded in agreement and told Obi-wan that if he got any information, he was to notify him immediately. "Right Master," Obi-wan said with a bow before heading to the Jedi Archives for their investigation.

** "But my lord, it's impossible** to locate the ship. It's out of our range," said cowardly Viceroy Nute Gunray of the Trade Federation. "Not for the Sith," Sidious replied and Maul stepped into view shortly after that. "This is my apprentice: Darth Maul; he will find your lost ship," Sidious added when the Nemoidians had nothing to say before disconnecting communications with them.

"As Senator of Naboo, I'm required to have be able to have trace codes of all ships leaving in and out of the system. I will provide you the code but I want you to trace where the ship is and report it to me immediately when you find something," Sidious said. Maul bowed and thanked his Master for the codes, two years of merciless training since his mission to Nyx showing on him for the first time. He plugged in the code and had his most advanced tracking technologies put to the job of finding the Nubian ship that had escaped the Trade Federation; he was pleased when the results did not take long in coming and yielded a single name for a planet: Tatooine.


	35. ToB: Epilogue

Epilogue

Darth Maul had followed his Jedi quarry this far and was not about to quit now that he had slain the older Jedi and still had the Padawan to deal with. In fact, he was not even beginning to enjoy this duel of the millennium and to think that he was the first Sith Lord to have fought a Jedi Knight (never mind a Master and a Padawan) was a thrilling thought. With the death of his Master, the Padawan was beginning to make this duel excessively easy and it disappointed him that that was the case. Darius Othone had been a better match than both of these Jedi put together as had been Claudiate back on Heraklion Prime almost two years before.

The Padawan surprised Maul every now and then with his skill but Maul still managed to propel him into the pit behind him with the Force. After knocking the Padawan called Kenobi into the pit and seeing him hold on for dear life to an alarm light he found near the edge, Maul came across something familiar in his past. He saw the hilt of Kenobi's lightsaber and realized it was the very same one that Ophelia had wielded two years ago during the mission to Heraklion Prime. Just looking at it immediately brought back memories of her death and his vow of vengeance against the entire Jedi Order itself.

So before letting Kenobi gain the upper hand, he kicked the lightsaber over the Jedi and watched as it bounced off the walls before heading for the reactor core to be destroyed. After that, Maul played with him by slicing the edge with his lightsaber and causing hundreds of sparks to fly. However, after a few brief strokes, he became bored and watched to see if Kenobi would make a move to defend himself or attack Maul again. Obi-wan's next move surprised him when he suddenly leapt from the pit, called to his dead master's lightsaber with the Force, ignited the blade and swung it through Maul's waist near instantly.

Before he knew it, Maul's body separated into halves and he watched as his legs left him forever to also be destroyed by the power of the reactor. For several minutes, he fell so as to give Obi-wan the impression that he was dead and he actually hoped he soon would be. But he somehow did not die as his hatred of the Jedi kept him alive but when he channeled his hate against Kenobi particularly, he survived. He found a small opening in the shaft and decided to follow it to wherever it led and that was to a ship a Nubian man said was destined for Lotho Minor.

Knowing that Sidious would have him executed for his failure if he reported it and returned to Coruscant, there was only one thing left for him to do. He climbed down to the ship and boarded it before anyone noticed, hoping that it would remain that way until he arrived to the planet called Lotho Minor. The ship took off and Maul found a place in a dark corner of the ship in which to hide until he made it and since it was a dumping ship, he made his way to the pile of junk and crawled in, knowing that he could land on the surface of the planet when the shaft doors opened to dump out the worthless junk being sent there. The trip wasn't long nor was the fall on top of one of the towering piles of burning garbage on the surface of the scrap pile floating in space.

Upon landing, he immediately sought shelter below the ground and began to carve out a new life for himself in the knowledge that he would likely stay for years. But a decade went by and Maul managed to fit himself with a flawed but effective spiderlike apparatus to replace his legs, Maul's memories began to disappear, madness began to set in and he concluded that he was doomed to remain on Lotho Minor until he met his demise by old age or lack of food. Amongst the memories lost were any of Ophelia, her family, or anything to do with a planet called Nyx nearly halfway across the galaxy from where he presently remained in isolation, darkness and misery. A snake named Morley helped keep him alive until one day, a man of his species came wielding a double-sided lightsaber as Maul used to and claimed that he was Maul's brother.

However, because Maul had never known of a brother to begin with, his broken mind allowed him to deny it with ease. "No, no, you don't know, you don't know anything!" Maul hissed at him maliciously. "I know I am your blood," the man replied calmly. Then Maul began reciting the Sith code aloud and remembering conversations that he had had as a kid with Sidious.

"Jedi! Revenge, I must have revenge," he said when it ended. "I brought you something," the man called Savage Opress told him. "For me… food?" Maul asked inquisitively. "No, something to help restore your memory," Savage answered before handing him the necklace around his massive neck.

Without warning, Maul felt a spark of his memories returning. Before Savage had come to find him, he had remembered only that the Jedi had taken his legs away from him but now he remembered a name: Kenobi. "Come with me brother and I will help you to regain your revenge. Let's go find this Kenobi character and make him pay for what he has done to you," Savage coaxed the next day. "Yes, yes, we must kill Kenobi," Maul enthusiastically replied with a violent nod.

He followed Savage to his ship and was initially skeptical about boarding the massive vessel. "We go in that?" he asked. "Yes brother, we do. This will take you home with me, don't you want to go home?" Savage answered.

"Yes, yes, I want to go home. Let's go home," Maul agreed. Maul boarded the vessel with Savage and watched as it closed on Lotho Minor. "Bye bye, shit pile!" Maul said with a surprisingly high pitched laugh.

Whether Savage heard that or not, Maul didn't know nor did he care as he repeated it aloud. Being insane, Maul's mind was too damaged to know that the planet they were going to was a planet of significance. It was his birthplace, none other than Dathomir itself and awaiting them was Mother Talzin of the Nightsisters. And she would become part of his destiny forever…


	36. SW: DM: SoD: Prologue

Star Wars

Darth Maul

Sons of Dathomir

By

Christopher Cleveland

Prologue

The cargo ship used to transport Maul and his brother Savage Opress rocked slowly in all directions in the space above Raydonia. Though he would have loved to take his revenge against Obi-Wan Kenobi, he was not entirely upset when Kenobi escaped him with a Dathomir witch who had sided with him in the duel between Maul and Savage against Kenobi. "What now, brother? Do we go after them?" Savage asked his brother.

Maul had thought about that shortly after Kenobi had escaped in the detachable cockpit of the ship and knew exactly how to answer when Savage asked the question in words. "No, we will be patient, Savage. I have waited so many years for my revenge, I can wait a little longer," he said to his brother. "But the Jedi will know that you've survived, they will be coming for us!" Savage exclaimed.

Maul smiled at that comment, Savage's inexperience giving him a slight tickle. But like the question Savage had asked before, Maul knew how to reply to this comment. "I am counting on it," he said after a moment of silence. For a brief time, Savage had nothing to say to that and Maul was actually pleased with the silence that followed afterwards.

Then Savage asked what they were to do in the meantime between keeping their heads down until the Jedi began searching for them or bringing the fight to them. "No, bringing the fight to them will only result in our capture or deaths and I cannot have that while I still seek revenge against Kenobi. Take us back to Dathomir and I will begin your training in the ways of the Dark Side, it seems that though gifted you still have much to learn," Maul answered. "Though I accept your offer enthusiastically (as it was the biggest reason I searched you out in the first place), won't the Jedi look for us on Dathomir?" Savage inquired.

Maul chuckled at that because the question told him that though Savage's naiveté was still overwhelming, he had done at least some good thinking on his part. "You're right; the Jedi will seek us out on Dathomir which leaves us with only one choice. I'm setting the course for planet Nyx in the Erebus system after we make a stop on Falleen. If an old friend of mine is still Nyx's ruler, we may be safe until your training is nearly completed," he said to his brother.

"Who is this friend of yours, brother?" Savage asked. "His name is Laertes Draco and I had once helped him quash a rebellion nearly fourteen years ago. I haven't seen him since and don't know if he is still the King of Nyx, might be worth checking out even if it means risking another encounter with the Jedi scum," Maul answered. "I've never heard of this system before, was it new in your time?" Savage asked curiously.

"No, it was thousands of years old even before I went there for the first time. But Savage, if you have not been outside of Dathomir much, there are still many systems you have not heard of that I have explored and conquered for the Sith," Maul replied. After that, Maul punched in the coordinates for Falleen and then told his brother to take over the controls of their ship while he walked around and saw what was in the cargo boxes on the ship. "Yes brother, shall I contact you when we're in sight of Nyx?" Savage asked.

Maul nodded and thanked him for taking over while he went and checked out the metal boxes. As he walked around, he used his lightsaber to open some of them while merely using the Force to open others. It was mostly food and other supplies but he did catch enough parts for customization on his new legs. If he was going to reveal himself to King Laertes after all these years, he was going to need something to cover the damage Kenobi had done to his body.

With relative ease due to having the right tools to pull it off, Maul managed to sever his massive from his mechanical ankles safely. Then he assembled human feet and quickly attached them to the ankles of his mechanical apparatus. He tested the sensitivity of these new feet and they worked perfectly for artificial replacements of what he once had. In addition, these new feet made him even taller when standing erect than he had been moments ago.

They made him so tall in fact that Savage was barely half a head taller than him now. Laertes would be surprised to see the height difference but would not faint since he wouldn't be seeing the mechanical apparatus that Mother Talzin had built for him on Dathomir. Maul smiled in appreciation of this upgrade from the clawed feet that though advantageous against Kenobi would give him away if he went out into public with them. Now, he needed to see if his reservations on Falleen had expired or if Prince Xizor would still allow him to remain on Falleen for free.

Then he recalled that Xizor had vowed to not let it expire for twenty years and it had only been seventeen since he had been to the Prince's dangerous homeworld. The customization took long enough for Savage to report their arrival at Falleen and Maul thanked him before going into the cockpit and entering in his ID number to the orbiting security stations on Falleen. "Welcome back Mr. Apollonius, we have missed you on our world," said the lady taking in the code for them. "Mr. Apollonius?" Savage inquired, confused.

"One of my many aliases on worlds like this one. It was a way of avoiding the attention of the Jedi when I served under Darth Sidious and I intend to keep us hidden until we're ready to strike again," Maul explained. Then he added that once they arrived to Maul's suite, they would begin working on Savage's lightsaber skills and finding a suitable style of combat for him. Savage knew his training was only just beginning but he had no idea how much Maul had to teach him nor would he until near the end of their time together.

They touched down on the system and were personally welcomed by Xizor, who showed no surprise as to Maul's condition if he ever cared. "Allow me to introduce my brother, Mr. Apollo," Maul said to Xizor. "It is always a pleasure to meet a relative of a client and you sir are most welcome to use Mr. Apollonius' reservation at any time you need it in the future," Xizor said to Savage. Savage humbly thanked him before he and Maul were led to the latter's massive suite where Savage would at last begin the training Talzin promised Maul would give to him.


	37. SoD: Chapter 1

Chapter One

"And what of the Raydonia affair, are the people all right?" Master Windu asked. "No, it seemed as though Maul killed them all before I arrived. Guess he was too anxious waiting for me to keep them alive until I arrived to the system," Obi-Wan answered. "Do not blame yourself for it Obi-Wan, as you said, he was a broken and unbalanced monster," Windu assured him.

"Yes but that doesn't mean I could have saved them from his vicious blade. And now, he may still be pursuing me if he hasn't settled in the ruins of Raydonia or elsewhere to plot another plan for revenge against me," Obi-Wan said. "For now, he's laying low which is likely the best thing he can do now that we know he's survived and that he is accompanied by a former acolyte of Dooku," Windu replied. Obi-Wan made a reference to Savage saying that Maul was his brother and Windu looked at him, baffled.

"And how would Savage know Maul is of blood relations to him?" Windu asked. "Likely Mother Talzin, she follows the genetic line of all males in the village she built within her massive territory. She might be the one who would know how to stop Maul and Savage now that they've reunited and plan to use their powers to wreak havoc on the galaxy," Obi-Wan answered.

"Are you suggesting that we send you to Dathomir to find Mother Talzin and ask her if she knows of their relationship to each other," Windu asked with a raised eyebrow. "It would probably be our best lead as to how they came to know each other and possibly a hint as to where Maul has been all this time," Obi-Wan answered. "Would you like a taskforce to come with you or for Skywalker and Tano to accompany you?" Windu inquired. Obi-Wan shook his head and said that since Maul didn't know of Anakin's existence when he and Maul met, he wanted to keep it that way if he could help it.

"Besides, Anakin's attachment to Qui-Gon before the latter died was like that of a father and a son. If Anakin heard that Qui-Gon's murderer was still out there, he wouldn't stop until vengeance was his or he died," he added. "I understand, anything else you need?" Windu asked. Obi-Wan shook his head and thanked Windu for all his help in the issue surrounding Maul's mysterious return to the galaxy during the war.

**"While your talents are exceptional** for your lack of training, you will need all that I can teach you to survive when I cannot be there anymore. Your first lesson will be to learn how to channel your hatred and let the anger flow through you like the blood you and I share," Maul explained to a quiet, observant Savage Opress. Maul electrocuted his brother with Fore lightning, testing what Savage was and wasn't already familiar with. When he saw the reaction Savage had to the lightning, he continued with a smile on his face, knowing he was doing something right for his first time being the teacher instead of the student.

Savage did exactly as Maul instructed and channeled enough of his anger and hate to use the Force to throw Maul against a wall behind him. Though quick to recover from the blow, Maul complimented Savage for his success in the first lesson. "You're going to loathe me before this is through and desire to kill me but if you survive your training, you will become a powerful ally of the Dark Side," Maul said when he was back on his mechanical feet. "I want nothing less than that, my brother," Savage replied.

Maul wasn't sure whether he wanted Savage to call him his brother or his Master but settled for brother as that was what he was to his relatively naïve companion. "No you don't but before this is over, you'll be wanting more," Maul assured him confidently. "I don't understand brother," Savage said. "With time and training brother, you will," Maul promised Savage.

**Mother Talzin watched from** Dathomir as Maul trained his brother in the ways of the Dark Side just as she planned. Thanks to the training Savage already acquired out of Count Dooku, Maul's training was being undertaken more smoothly than she could've hoped. "Yes Maul, soon you and Savage will soon be ready for the final stages of my ultimate goal for you. I must see to it that you will be ready for your final part at least when I want you to be," she said aloud and since she was alone, she felt better about thinking aloud when it came to Maul and Savage Opress.

Amongst those final preparations included a little more usage of her ability to manipulate the minds of those who serve and fight for her. However, this usage was going to be very subtle in comparison to what she usually did to people whether they were her servants or her victims. In the case of Asajj Ventress, she had merely used her power to fuel the hatred Ventress bore towards Dooku and used it to nearly succeed in her schemes to assassinate him. With other Nightsisters, it had usually been a similar matter except towards each other but this was far more subtle than all of that.

Instead of manipulating Maul's hatred to an untimely destruction, she was going to implant one little idea into his head that would have his gears turning. At first, he would resist trying to go about conducing it as would be the natural response to his mind against her attempts to manipulate it. She was not worried about that but she was worried about him rejecting it so she had to make sure it was powerful enough to stick but not powerful enough for him to recognize it as mind control and immediately throw it away. This was going to be something more difficult than anything she did even when Ventress had been involved with the Nightsisters.

** Maul was in the midst** of training Savage in how to deflect blaster bolts by the dozen when something came up. It was a little recollection from a time in his past he had thought purged from his mind never to surface again. This little recollection was the memory of his romantic involvement with a dead Jedi Knight named Ophelia Draco. It irritated him that his memories of that fateful connection surfaced right when he was in the middle of training his brother but when he allowed it a little time, something interesting came up.

During the mission to stop her brother Claudius from destroying Heraklion Prime, Ophelia had told Maul (from the Jedi perspective) how the Sith were destroyed and mentioned the use of a power called the "thought bomb". According to her, it was a force so powerful that those with a connection to the Force and were caught in it physically burned to ash only for their souls to remain trapped between life and death. She had added that there was no way to break the seal of the thought bomb as far as the Jedi knew but Maul began to wonder if Talzin would know. Much as he hated her and wished she had never been the one to restore his legs, he knew she was the only one he could trust with that knowledge lest he risk running into the Jedi again.

While the idea of releasing the souls trapped in the thought bomb was good and finding out how to do so second best, there was still Kenobi to be considered. What if he or some other Jedi were already going to see Mother Talzin for some reason and he walked right into them instead of Talzin by herself? It was a possibility he didn't want to exploit as his whole plan was based on letting the Jedi bring the fight to him and Savage instead of the other way around. Still, it ate at him even in sleep and urged him to explore it in depth as though to not do so would kill him eventually.

It was worsened when Savage asked how they were going to fight the Jedi when they began pursuing them in the hopes of capturing at least one of them. "I have an idea as to how that may be possible but I am not sure if I want to explore it yet," Maul said. "Why would you not?" Savage asked. "For one thing, you're just barely completing the first stages of your training (doing it in barely three weeks was more than I expected) and for another… it's too risky right now," Maul answered.

"Can you at least tell me what your idea is?" Savage inquired. "In ancient Sith legend, there were eight battles at a planet called Ruusan between the Sith's Brotherhood of Darkness led by Lord Kaan and the Jedi Order's Army of Light led by General Hoth. During the last battle, Kaan became so desperate to destroy Hoth that he became insane and began considering the use of a weapon called a thought bomb. It was encouraged by the first of my Master's Sith line, Darth Bane, who convinced him to actually use it against the Jedi.

"What Kaan ever ignored or didn't realize was that when ignited, the thought bomb consumed the souls of all Force users in its vicinity, burned up their physical bodies, and doomed the trapped souls to a tortured eternity. But now, there is the possibility that they can be released, granting us an army like no other," Maul explained. "Then why don't we?" Savage asked. "Because finding out how will require going back to Dathomir and seeking Mother Talzin and until I know for certain that the Jedi are not waiting for us, I will not pursue this further," Maul answered.

_Is he afraid of the Jedi or has he grown so accustomed to hiding that he won't make a move even if he isn't afraid of our enemy? _Savage asked inside his head. "I am neither afraid nor accustomed to hiding, I am just more careful about weaving my webs as well as hiding them from my enemies until they are caught in their stronghold," Maul answered aloud. "How did you-?" Savage began. "Another thing I haven't taught you is how to protect your thoughts being read by those who would exploit their ability to read minds for personal gain," Maul interrupted.

"How does one defend against that, my brother?" Savage asked. "Whether you have heard this before or not I don't know but a wise master does not reveal all of his secrets at once," Maul answered. Savage admitted that Count Dooku had once said it to him during one of his first training sessions when the Count tried to teach him how to command the Force for the Dark Side. _His knowledge of this Count Dooku character may prove useful to me one day but not now, not while we're still unprepared to fight the Jedi _Maul told himself meticulously.

After finishing the session for another day, Maul decided to meditate on the idea and see if he could work up a plan of some sort. Unfortunately, the meditation turned up nothing so he decided to ask Xizor if he knew anybody who had gone to Ruusan or might know how to safely get there without Jedi interference. "I might know someone who was said to have accidentally stumbled on a planet of such a description as you provided," Xizor told him. Maul had made sure to tell him he had seen a decimated plain, deprived of life except for the local bouncers of the planet with the brightest light being that of a massive white orb in a deep cave whose entrance was relatively massive.

Three days later and Xizor had an entire route written down for Maul's use should he decide to travel to Ruusan as Xizor's pilot had done before him. "Thank you your Majesty, I will try to be in touch if I need to call upon my reservation in the future but I make no promises in that respect," Maul said. "You are always welcome to use my space when you need to and I will even renew your reservation on the house since you are usually a good client," Xizor replied enthusiastically. _I hope I don't have to resort to that again as comfy as this suite is _Maul thought but didn't say to his host.

Maul told Savage to ready the ship and have them head back to Dathomir to find Mother Talzin. If there was anyone he hated more than Xizor, it was Talzin but she would have to be one of the first people to know how to undo the effects of the thought bomb it would be her. But if she did not know how to do it, she would be the best hope of finding someone who did. Savage didn't like the idea any more than he did which gave Maul the impression that his brother still liked the training; that was something Maul would be needing to break out of him before they were through.


	38. SoD: Chapter 2

Chapter Two

While drinking a strong beverage she seemed to crave these days, Asajj Ventress felt a dark presence through the Force. She recognized immediately that it was Savage since she had felt it before she heard he was wanted by the Separatists for the treason she made him conduct against Dooku. Her friend Latts Razzi tried to consul her and ask what was wrong to which Asajj answered that Savage was still on the loose. "I have to go after him again and no one can stop me from doing so, I'm the only one who stands a chance of stopping him and his brother," Asajj said.

"Last time you fought them, you and Kenobi were both outmatched by them and Savage had you on the run at more than one point in the duel. You sure you don't want someone else to do this?" Latts asked. "I am sure that no one else would stand against him or Maul for as long as Kenobi and I did, let alone beat them in single combat," Asajj answered. "Then I guess this means you want me out of this again, don't you?" Latts rhetorically and grimly asked her.

"I am sorry my friend but you're right, this time I don't know if I'll return though. If I do, I'll ask you to meet me here immediately but until then, take any assignment that gets us enough credits to keep up with the tab and I will pay you back with Kenobi's credits when I come back," Ventress replied. "See you later Ventress, may the Force be with you," Latts said. Ventress stopped for a moment, this was the first time Latts ever used that expression to wish her luck on a mission, then returned the formality.

** Mother Talzin sensed the** presence of Asajj Ventress in the Force and knew she was eventually going to hinder her plans. This was something she could not allow but she wasn't sure how to avoid an inevitable encounter with Ventress, who had thought her dead when Dooku sent General Grievous and his droids to destroy her convent of Nightsisters. _Perhaps when I bring the "City of Two Worlds" up from the ground, I will find a way to stop her from botching up my plans _she said to herself before resuming a book she had been reading.

It was an ancient Nightsister manuscript that had contained the obsession of her life. The City of Two Worlds, as the manuscript called it, was a place said to be consumed by the earth because it acted as a gateway between the physical realm of Dathomir and the Nightsister Afterlife. It would not have interested her had there not been a passage in there that said that those who used the City to gain access to the Afterlife could be granted the power of the Ancient Nightsister Goddesses whose power was so immense that to give them names would be to burn mortals to cinders where they stood. With that kind of power, Talzin could destroy Dooku, make the Jedi kneel and grovel before her, and become Queen of the entire galaxy.

And now, Maul was returning to consult her about how to release the souls of the thought bomb and she realized she didn't know how to do that. But she remembered someone from her past who supposedly studied such arts. Someone who she had banished to Felucia long ago but now would probably be of use to her. Smiling, she used what magic she knew to prepare for the return of the Nightbrothers who served her to their dark home.

** "Stay here Savage, if** something goes wrong we will need a quick exit. Make sure the ship is ready to go in emergency but try not to waste too much fuel doing that," Maul said to his brother. Savage didn't mind staying on the ship and learning the controls as he had been accustomed to the detached front cockpit of the ship and Maul giving him time to learn the new one was a major help on his part. Besides, Maul needed to see Mother Talzin alone anyway so he could thank her for restoring his legs with her powerful magic.

Finding her wasn't the hard part as she was apparently waiting for his arrival when he came into the ruins of her dark temple. While walking up to her, he took the time to examine the scattered debris that lied about and noticed that the model of droids used were Trade Federation or something else he didn't recognize. He soon found out that the more bulky ones were called super battle droids and the agile looking ones were called commando droids, elite Separatist droids. "Remind me to have Savage update me about the sides involved in this war before I leave, please," Maul said to Talzin as she explained this to him.

"You have come to me with a question of importance, my son?" Talzin inquired when she saw his troubled look. "For some time, the thought of restoring the souls trapped in the thought bomb orb on planet Ruusan has crossed my mind. I want to know if you know how to undo it and utilize the Sith souls in it or if you know someone who would know?" Maul asked. Talzin paused for a moment as though she didn't know how to answer his question and whether or not that was true was something Maul couldn't decipher from her posture.

Then, after a couple minutes of silence, she answered, "I do not know how to undo it but I do know someone who has been learning the ways of the Sith for years. If anyone knows how to undo it and allow you to utilize the souls trapped within it, it would be a former Nightsister named Kycina. I banished her there because she committed a serious offense against me and the clan. Perhaps she will be of use to us now that we have a need for her Sith knowledge, tell her I welcome her back in exchange for serving you two in everything you need when you find her on Felucia."

"What crime did she commit if it isn't a bother asking?" Maul inquired curiously. "Once long ago, she had a son by a Nightbrother who is no longer alive but she discovered a Force-sensitive connection within him. To save him from a lifetime of Nightbrother slavery, she gave him away to an influential human who raised him as his own. It seemed as though she wanted him to have any life other than that of a Nightbrother as all Nightbrothers are normally destined for a life of slavery and death serving us," Talzin explained.

Maul thought about that for a moment and wondered if it would explain why he had never known his own mother. He wondered if Kycina was his mother and he was the child but he reminded himself he wasn't the only Zabrak in Dathomir's history that had a connection to the Force. Savage was an example of that and the first Nightbrothers to ever exist also provided great examples of that point. Nonetheless it did spark an interest in him to find out more about the family he and Savage apparently shared between them.

"Find her home deep in the rancor-guarded jungles of Felucia and offer her a Madness Herb. Its five purple leaves arranged in a star (it's a type of flower) cure any affliction of madness thanks to the Force's effects on its biology," Talzin added. "But why would I need a flower that cures madness if you cured my own when you used your power to restore my legs?" Maul asked. "Nearly thirty-five years in solitude on Felucia may have driven her a little farther- over the edge- than you were driven during your years in the junk fields of Lotho Minor," Talzin answered.

Maul understood knowing how years of solitude could cloud one's mind and damage it from having firsthand experience in that aspect of life. The Dark Side did wonderful things at a terrible price and Maul's survival at the price of his sanity had been just one example. He thanked Talzin once more then made back to the cargo ship but not before asking Talzin if the Jedi had come by Dathomir in the past few weeks. "Only once and I wasn't there to greet him when he returned here due to business I had to take care of elsewhere," she said.

Maul guessed it was Obi-Wan as he was the only one who would seek Maul out after nearly getting his ass handed to him. He told Savage about what Talzin had told him and asked his brother to set a course for Felucia while he reflected on what Mother Talzin had said about Kycina's tragic exile to the planet he was headed to meet her at. Maul wondered as to why it sounded parallel to the life he had had according to what Sidious told him about his beginnings as an infant. The thought only stopped hammering itself into his head when Savage asked what a rancor was as Talzin had made it sound as though they were very dangerous.

"Non-sentient carnivorous beasts that live only to kill those smaller than them for food and each other for territory and mates. The only things they fear are any species that can kill them (as humans and humanoid creatures, like ourselves, have been known to do) and a fellow rancor that is bigger than them," Maul said. "Have you fought one before, brother?" Savage asked. "Several and bringing down just one is no easy task so I want you to search for the herb while I handle any rancors we meet along the way to Kycina's home," Maul answered.

"How will we know how to find her if Mother Talzin gave us nothing to go on except that she lived on in the deeper jungles of Felucia?" Savage asked. "While non-sentient, rancors have excellent memory and if one's mind can be bent to the will of a powerful Force-user it can guide us to where we wish to go. As Nightsisters only have grey skin and we're looking for a grey-skinned human, any rancor that has seen Kycina will be the one to guide us to her," Maul answered. Savage said he would search for the herb while they were looking for Kycina and Maul was pleased with the progress of his apprentice and brother.

First Savage had learned to use the Dark Side of the Force for simple tasks. Then he had learned how to use his lightsaber in defense as well as attack. Finally, he was learning the lesson Maul wanted him to learn: obedience to an end and independence also to an end. Savage had freedom to perform the will of the Dark Side in any way he wished so long as he performed it as Maul had done for Darth Sidious, years ago.

** Sidious felt a strong** but familiar disturbance in the Force that awoke him from his sleep in his bedchambers on Coruscant. He was covered in a thin layer of sweat from a vision he had had about his first apprentice, Darth Maul, rising again and challenging his very power. Barely eight standard hours before, Dooku had mentioned that Savage Opress (a former acolyte of his) was searching for a brother lost in the Outer Rim. Could it be true that Maul had survived the battle on Naboo and if so, why had Maul not surfaced until now or even reported his failure to him?

Then he reminded himself that he probably would have punished Maul for his failure had the man come back and reported his failure on the Naboo mission. Still, to think that his apprentice had survived all these years and was only now resurfacing for the first time since Naboo was nearly impossible for Sidious. He warmed up his sleepy muscles with lightsaber exercises and decided to think about not how Maul could've survived but on how he would finish the job Kenobi started if Maul decided to seek him out in hatred. "I fear the worst for my plan's futures, Maul and his brother Savage may be a hindrance to my plans for the galaxy," he had said to Dooku when Maul's survival was first reported to him.

"Perhaps I can eliminate him on your behalf?" Dooku asked politely. "If it comes down to that, I will let you do it but I'm not sure if I'm one of Maul's targets. Don't go after him until we know for certain whether he seeks my blood or not," Sidious answered. Dooku nodded and bade Sidious a good day after that although he knew Sidious probably wouldn't have a good day after hearing about Maul's sudden return.

** Despite initial skepticism,** Asajj Ventress followed her instincts and directed herself back to her home on Dathomir. Though Dooku had destroyed the Nightsisters, she refused to give up the hope that Mother Talzin had survived the attack. It would be the only explanation for why Savage still lived and now had a brother in his little adventure. Once down on the surface of the planet, the same instincts she had followed to come here then guided her to a desolate plain unaffected by the battle her Nightsisters had with Dooku's forces; then the ground began to shake and tremble violently beneath her feet as something big was beginning to emerge fast.


	39. SoD: Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Talzin began the chant that the manuscript provided, knowing full well that powerful chants like these were well preserved and kept complete once written. She was careful to pronounce every vowel slowly as she went through what the book had provided. Then she watched as her chant took its effect and began to raise the ancient city from the ground, uprooting trees, throwing boulders and mountains off their connections with the ground, and even kicking enough sand and dirt to have a sandstorm before at last the buildings began to emerge from their underground tomb after millennia of forcibly remaining dormant. It was everything she could have imagined it being what the legends described and more, the abundant houses stretching for miles in all directions, the office buildings attempting to reach the sky but doing no better than the houses surrounding them, and the Palace at the center with the spiraling tower that was the tallest feature of this underground city.

"Yes, the legends were true for once. Now I shall begin with the final stages of my plan, I just hope Maul and Savage can keep the Jedi and the Sith busy enough for me to carry it out. But I'm in no rush, why not explore this city before I use it for my purposes then destroy it?" Talzin thought aloud with zealous enthusiasm. Though still worried about Asajj Ventress, Talzin didn't believe that the sister would interfere with her plans for this city yet nor intended to.

Talzin's biggest hope though was that Ventress wasn't here on Dathomir and had been witness to the tremor. After all, once Ventress saw something that interested her there was no stopping her from investigating the item of interest in full. The last thing Mother Talzin needed was Asajj Ventress investigating the city and finding out she was still alive before she could complete her plans for the city. But then, she reminded herself that if the worst were to come she could always use Ventress' connection to her to take possession of her mind and make her Talzin's loyal servant as she had when Ventress asked her to aid her in her plot against Count Dooku.

**After weeks of traveling** without coordinates and bringing down entire smuggling groups to even find a meager portion of the way to Felucia, Maul and Savage arrived at last. Now that they had arrived in Felucia, Maul immediately made it a priority to find the Madness herb that Talzin had spoken of when he last visited her. He knew enough to know about flowers to know that the herb was simple a flower with a star-shaped set of five purple petals on it. "Why do you know so much botany if you are a Sith Lord who is meant to destroy such things?" Savage asked.

"Organisms like us work in a very similar manner to plants: we take in solid matter for nutrients, we drink water to maintain the liquidity of our bodies, and we use both to grow mentally as well as physically. To know how to destroy your enemy, sometimes you have to know their physical and mental anatomy thus spotting any weaknesses (as there undoubtedly and inevitably will be) quickly and decisively. And besides, in order to destroy your enemy sometimes you have to know how they were created first," Maul explained. "Like the Sith know how the Jedi were created, I presume?" Savage guessed.

"A valid and excellent presumption Savage, you may have much still to learn but you're catching on rather quickly. Look around for people that may know where to find the herb, persuade them with some-interrogation, if it can be called that- to persuade them if you must. Nonetheless we must have an herb ready to present to Kycina in the event that Talzin's fears about her sanity are confirmed," Maul replied. "Yes brother, shall I look in that cantina to my left and see if anyone knows?" Savage asked, indicating the cantina.

"Go ahead, it may be a good place to stop for the night if our search for the herb turns fruitless today," Maul answered with a nod. Though he didn't like doing it, Maul knew that if he and Savage separated they could get more searching done than if they stayed together. It meant that more space was covered and as long as the rendezvous point was the same, it didn't matter if this first day proved successful or if it did not. They had come this far in several months and could afford to wait a little longer as could Kycina herself.

As Maul had foreseen, Savage's exploration of the cantina at the edge of town was in vain but so was Maul's own search in the town square for someone who knew where the herb could be found. But just when they were about to call it a day, a drunken smuggler came out of the cantina and asked if they were looking for the Madness herb. "Of course, I'll only tell for the right amount of credits," he added smugly. Savage decided that since they didn't have credits, it would be best to improvise when he grabbed the smuggler by the throat and began crushing his windpipe with a single large hand.

"I mean, I would love to tell you immediately, yeah that's what I meant," he said before Savage knocked him unconscious. "Then talk and we will stop this," Maul ordered. "They have several bushes along the front of the forest. The ones most effective are the ones on the border of the forest that have already bloomed. Since Felucia is affected by the Force, the plants can live hundreds of years even after being violently uprooted," the smuggler said desperately.

"One last thing before we let you go: how are the drinks in this cantina?" Maul asked with a raised eyebrow toward the drunk. "Not the best but certainly better than the heavily diluted crap they give you on Coruscant," the smuggled told him. At Maul's order, Savage let him go and together they entered the bar unopposed. A prostitute even offered a freebie to Savage in exchange for him buying a drink for the two of them.

"Have some fun Savage, we'll be here the rest of the night and some of the morning," Maul told him. He paid the bartender a couple chips he found in one of his adventures with his brother and told him they would be the full expenses for their long stay. While Savage bought the drink with some of his own credits, Maul went up to the rooms provided to them. Despite not being high quality, the rooms were nice and cozy for a one-day stay at this place.

**Asajj Ventress had been wandering** the ancient city for an undetermined amount of time and could not believe there were people living, breathing and walking in it. _It had been underground for thousands of years, how could anyone survive that long? _she asked herself before realizing that Dathomir magic evolved from the Force and thus capable of amazing things. Could this be the work of Mother Talzin, could she indeed have survived the attack on Dathomir and merely told Ventress to stay away so that she didn't interfere with any plans she had for the future?

It was worth checking out although Savage would probably be worth more than this mere city that would be reported on HoloNet News if Republic journalists ever saw it. Hell, archaeologists would be crawling all over it and examining it within a matter of days if that were to be the case. Nonetheless, she did know only one person who would care about this place besides journalists and archaeologists: Mother Talzin. That and she knew Mother Talzin would also be the only one with the power and/or materials to raise it from the earth after millennia of remaining trapped down there.

Considering that Talzin told her to go on to find her own life after the sisters were destroyed, Ventress had to find her and force her to reveal why she said that. She had to know why Talzin had told her to leave her home behind her forever. Was it because she foresaw something that would happen to her if she didn't? Did Talzin foresee another encounter with Count Dooku in Ventress' near future?

** _Your Master Qui-Gon Jinn, I _**gutted _him while you stood helpless and watched _Maul had said. The words and the way they were said still made Obi-Wan shutter, toss, and turn in his bed at the glorious Jedi Temple. _How did that make you _feel_, Obi-Wan? _he had added. Obi-Wan tossed again and shivered in the fear of such a loathsome memory as that had been for him. _Your rage has unbalanced you that is not the Jedi way, is it?_ Maul added to taunt him further.

It was at that comment that Obi-Wan woke up uttering a battle cry and calling the lightsaber he then activated into his sweaty hand. Being in the next-door room, Anakin heard the commotion and raced to Kenobi's room to see Obi-Wan holding his lightsaber toward the door as if to defend himself from something only he could see. "Master, are you okay?" he asked. Obi-Wan deactivated his blade and shook his head before mentioning that he dreamed about his fight with Maul.

"He mentioned how he killed Qui-Gon in an attempt to make me give into my anger. I had done that when I faced him for the first time as a Padawan and I guessed he was hoping it would work again. He could not have been more right about that one," he added when he calmed. "And yet you feel you have to face him again before long?" Anakin asked.

"I have foreseen it, it cannot be avoided nor do I think it should be avoided. If it is the will of the Force that I face him again then I will but if it is not the will of the Force then I will never meet him again, understand?" Obi-Wan replied. Anakin nodded though Obi-Wan doubted if he truly did understand as Anakin's head was somewhat thick even for someone as young as he was. As he lied back down in bed and Anakin left, he began to wonder if Qui-Gon was right about focusing on the here-and-now rather than the distant future or the equally distant past.

** Maul observed as the** life outside of the Felucian cantina began to mellow out for the first time since his sudden arrival to this forsaken world. Savage was still busy with the whore he had bought drinks for and the distant sounds of her incredibly loud orgasms could be heard across the otherwise still hallway that seemed to go forever. The stamina his brother had was phenomenal and even Maul himself began to wonder if he had ever compared on any of his missions as Sidious' pathetic apprentice.

But he reminded himself that pathetic or no, the apprentice had defeated the spirit of the Sith Emperor Darth Vitiate when it inhabited the body of Claudius Draco. While his brother continued having his way with the prostitute, he decided to do something he knew Savage would not like: he used the Force to call Obi-Wan over to Dathomir. _Kenobi, if you receive this then I want you to travel to Dathomir. I promise we will face each other alone and if you win again as you did twelve years ago, you may kill me or else I will cease all attempts towards revenge should you choose to spare me _Maul said, keeping it short, sweet, and direct.

Surprisingly, it wasn't that long before he got a response from Kenobi although the Jedi Master was fast asleep in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. _I will be there Maul just tell me where and when to meet you on Dathomir. That is, so long as you don't mock me with killing my master like you did the last time we fought _Obi-Wan replied. Maul chuckled and said that although he didn't guarantee he wouldn't, he'd try not to do that again.

It was after he finished conversing with Kenobi through the Force that Savage left the room he was in, the whore he had banged lying motionless as the dead and equally deep in sleep. "Brother, you sure you got enough out of that one? Where did you learn such stamina as that incredible feat?" Maul asked. "Let's just say I got between the legs of many women while searching for you in the galaxy," Savage answered.

Maul mentally smiled and reminded himself he hadn't been so different when he was apprentice to Lord Sidious. Just thinking of that man made his head ache and his hands lust for the feel of his lightsaber, knowing full well that the only thing that could please him as much (if not more than) as killing Obi-Wan would be exacting his revenge on Sidious as well. If there was anyone who deserved a more excruciating death than the Jedi, it also had to be Sidious himself. And Maul knew just how to start the beginning of the end for the man who had raised and discarded him if he ever had the chance: he would start with this Count Dooku character first.


	40. SoD: Chapter 4

Chapter Four

The next day, Maul and Savage left the bar after paying the bartender and the whore the last of the money in their wallets. They knew their mission was to find the Madness herb and now that they knew how to find it, they would not hesitate to grab one when found. Using threats at the tip of their lightsabers, they managed to get rides to the forest via people who would have sped past it at anyway. Savage pointed out a bush that seemed to match the description given by the drunken smuggler once they arrived to the edge and Maul pulled off one of them immediately.

"Carry it, watch me in action should we encounter any rancors and observe what I do and remember it in case you face one without me. Like any other plant, the Madness herb likely can be crushed if under the rancor's feet so I want you to keep it safe until we find a rancor that can take us to Kycina's home," Maul ordered. "Don't you mean to dominate the minds of the ones we encounter so as to gaze into their memories and see if they know where Kycina is?" Savage inquired, curious. "Yes but if I do not find a hint of Kycina in the mind of the beast I have, I will kill it immediately," Maul answered.

Savage nodded and kept the herb in one hand while carrying his lightsaber in another one. Maul led the way through the clearest path in the forest and though he had to cut some of the vegetation in the forest, they were virtually unopposed. Savage began to question the legend of these forests being infested with rancors but as if the thought itself were a provocation, a massive rancor came rampaging through the forest, devastating everything in its path. It was about to trample the brothers when Maul extended a hand out to it with the Force and began to enter its mind.

Savage watched as Maul intensely concentrated on penetrating the pathetic mental defenses of the beast. He saw the way Maul intensified when the beast resisted and mellowed when it did not. "How in the universe is this even possible?" Savage asked, thinking aloud. Then the rancor dropped as though it was going to die and Maul climbed up its face and over its head before beckoning Savage to do the same.

"Can it take us to Kycina?" Savage asked. "Not all the way but over most of the terrain that would have taken us weeks by foot excluding other rancors. Besides, this one is the biggest in this part of the forest and the others will not want to fight him when they see him coming their way," Maul answered with a smile. Savage did the same and slipped behind Maul as his brother was the one who would know how to guide it near Kycina's domain.

When Savage settled in and Maul had the rancor running its fastest, it seemed as though the world around them was a blur as the rancor sped over trees, bushes, and even small animals. The biggest surprise to Savage was how his brother didn't need reins to control the beast's movements as was normal with a creature like this being used for transportation over vast distances. "Once you completely bend a beast like this to your will, you only need to keep them focused on the course as they will surely try to go for food," Maul said, clearly reading his brother's thoughts rather than just randomly lecturing. Savage was able to better grasp this when the beast made a right turn instead of a left turn and Maul had to bend his mind back under control again.

It was another few hours before they stopped and Savage's stomach didn't have the friendliest response to the sudden change in speed. In fact, it violently forced him to vomit just after getting off the rancor and making sure the Madness herb was still in the pouch he designed for its protection. Maul shook his head in pity and wondered if it was a good idea to show Savage how to control a rancor, let alone teach him how to do it. "We're near Kycina's hut, if she's cooking food right now then we merely need to follow the smell," Maul said.

He let the rancor loose to find food of its own and Savage asked why he hadn't killed it. "Savage, we only need to kill those who are sentient enough to write, speak, or communicate to others in anyway unless we want to be found and are ready to be found. That rancor is barely sentient enough to even have memories thus it poses no threat to us," Maul answered. "Forgive me brother, I understand now and I'm also picking a faint smell of stew," Savage said grimly then lightheartedly.

Maul picked it up too and they both ran in the direction that the smell was coming from before they saw smoke that led them even further up the mountain they had scaled with the rancor. And just when they had expected the barrier of vegetation to keep getting thicker and more impenetrable, it suddenly cleared after several minutes and revealed a hut big enough for perhaps four people at the most. Inside, though they had to squint to see her, the woman Maul had seen in the rancor's memories was cooking a stew and humming a tune that was maternal in its nature. For a change, Savage was the one who was instructor to his brother who impulsively began to approach the hut without caution or stealth.

"No brother, when I found you raving mad I took it easy shortly after you tried to kill me for food. I recommend we do the same in approaching Kycina as we don't know what thirty years here has done to her," he said. "Lead the way then, my brother," Maul conceited. Savage did precisely that and had Maul observe the lack of speed in his approach toward Kycina's hut.

Maul followed his example and both of them slowly crept toward the home of the Nightsister Mother Talzin had banished for giving away one of her sons to a human. But just remembering that made Maul's suspicions of his relation to her thus relating her to Savage as well came back to him. He wasn't so certain that she wasn't a stranger to him and that tune, which he remembered from when he was a baby, only heightened his conviction. Then she looked up just as they were outside the door and retreated back into her room, screaming at the top of her lungs and beating her chest.

"Wait Kycina, wait! We only wish to speak with you," Savage called. "Savage no, let he come out in her own time. If there's anything I remember from my own madness, it's that those who are insane will only return from the corners they retreat to when they're ready and the approaching people turn out to be friendly rather than dangerous as they thought," Maul said to which Savage nodded in agreement.

** "Is there anything I** can do to help you, my Master?" Dooku asked. "No nothing, this must be dealt with alone, if you can understand that," Sidious answered. Sidious' heart had been heavy as durasteel when he had sensed a presence he never guessed he feel again. He had been initially surprised when he found out about Maul's survival but when he felt the presence of Kycina, he had been baffled and confounded by the idea.

There was no way that witch who gave Maul to him could have lived all these years without retaliation of some sort from Mother Talzin. The code of the Nightsisters made that impossible and yet here she was, still living and breathing just like him. Could her punishment have been exile instead of death as he thought Mother Talzin would have done to her at finding out Maul had been given to him? It was a possibility he didn't want to explore too deeply but perhaps with his knowledge of her connection to Maul, he could use her to his advantage in finding out whether his former apprentice and new enemy wanted to kill him or not.

Maybe he was just punishing himself with paranoia for having so lightly disposed of Maul after raising him for years. It would make sense and was so easy to believe but he refused to believe it fully as it could easily cause his undoing. Instead, he had Dooku arrange his finest fleet and remain on standby until he found out Maul's intent for him. Once he confirmed Maul was a threat to his plans, he would send Dooku to finish what Kenobi had started more than ten years before on Sidious' homeworld of Naboo.

** "Yes Maul, you and** Savage have at last found Kycina. Now, it is only a matter of time before you complete my plans for Dathomir," Talzin thought aloud with incredible enthusiasm. She knew that if used properly, Kycina and her sons would be the best pawns she ever had when it came to her plans of power beyond the dreams of any man or woman presently alive. While she thought about this, she heard footsteps in the distance and knew better than to stick around until whoever was approaching arrived to where she was now.

Immediately, she teleported herself onto an opening in the ceiling that led to another floor. She watched and waited for the person who had apparently followed her into this place emerge from the darkness. The face that she would see surprised her briefly as it belonged to Asajj Ventress who Talzin had directed away from Dathomir after Dooku destroyed their Nightsister tribe in revenge for Ventress' attempt on his life. "I swear I heard a voice along here that sounded familiar," she said, cursing under her own teeth.

Talzin shrugged and decided to reveal herself, knowing that since Ventress had become a true Nightsister she could bend the poor girl to her will if she need to do it. When Ventress saw Talzin, she initially activated her remaining lightsaber and placed it in a defensive position. "So surprised to see me that you attack me when I reveal myself to you, are you Ventress?" Talzin asked when she completed her descent from the ceiling above them. "You once told me my life on Dathomir was over, is this why you said that?" Ventress asked, ignoring Talzin's question completely.

"With the Nightsister tribe wiped out and my revenge on Dooku satisfied besides the interference from that droid Grievous, I needed to direct you away from here. Nothing personal, I just needed you out of the way when I resumed my lifelong dreams again," Talzin explained. "You betrayed me and left me when I needed you most just so you could raise this city up!" Ventress demanded, shocked. "Not just to raise this city but to also resurrect my immortal namesake and bring the people of my old world back into this one," Talzin told her.

"What old world, are you claiming you are older than you look?" Asajj inquired, very confused. "Millennia before the Jedi and the Sith, when they were still called the Followers of Ashla and the Followers of Bogan respectively, there was an old Dathomir that was entranced with the magic that the Bogan had discovered. But amongst the most powerful users of this magic was a goddess named Talzin like me. This Talzin grew so powerful, according to legend, that the other goddesses with their husbands united together to imprison her and prevent her from destroying the universe as they knew it then," she explained.

"What happened to all of them?" Asajj asked, deactivating her lightsaber while Mother Talzin told this story. "The people were sealed away on their own planet along with the goddess and this city, which was a median between the first level which is the current Dathomir and the afterlife that is the old Dathomir. Unfortunately, the goddesses and their husbands sacrificed their lives to seal her away and bury this entire city underground so as to let this Dathomir develop by itself. I was one of the privileged few of the old world to find my way back here and begin plotting the return of my namesake to this galaxy and I have been plotting since the day I returned here nearly thirty thousand years ago," Talzin answered, concluding her phenomenal story.

"I have to stop you from doing this, if you succeed then it will mean the end of the galaxy!" Ventress shouted before reactivating her lightsaber. Talzin laughed which stopped Ventress where she was for a split second. "You think a lightsaber is going to do anything to me? If so then you are a fool!" Talzin said then she grabbed Ventress on her bald head.

Then she used her abilities in the Force and her connection to Ventress as a fellow Nightsister to completely dominate her mind. It was quick and painless and when Ventress awoke from the trance Talzin put her into, she would be Talzin's servant and guardian of the city when she could no longer be there. And thinking of it brought a smile to the old hag's cruel face.


	41. SoD: Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Maul and Savage Opress had just seen the witch Kycina run raving mad at the sight of them and retreat into her hut while screaming and beating her own breasts. Now, she was returning with a staff that had a burning green orb at the side pointed towards the brothers. Savage was about to activate his lightsaber and attack but Maul backhanded his face hard enough to throw him into a tree while Maul himself used his knowledge of martial arts to hold Kycina at bay by hand. "Kycina, we are not here to hurt you we just need your help!" Maul told her with assurance in his voice.

Maul could not nor would not deny that reassurance was his forte when it came to talking to someone unless it was reassurance he would kill them. Kycina must have seen that and thought that he intended to kill since she attacked him once more. Then he used the Force to wrench the staff from her and he watched as the green fire died when his hand touched the golden staff with a massive green emerald at its head. "No, no, you don't understand!" Kycina shouted randomly at him.

She retreated into her house, her back hunched, her hands twitching fiercely, and every breath shivered out as though it were cold when it was actually quite warm. "You don't understand anything," she whispered, repeating her earlier sentiment. She returned to stirring her stew around and Maul used the Force to snag the Madness herb's pouch off Savage's belt before emptying the contents before tossing the bag aside. Then slowly, he extended it out to Kycina and offered it as a missing ingredient to her stew.

"I thought I was missing something, tear the pedals off that and put them into the stew so I can smash them up, quickly!" Kycina ordered. Maul remembered that Talzin had told him the pedals on the herb were the only parts of the flower that had the curative effect but the rest of the plant could be used for extra nutrition in an extreme situation. He gladly obeyed and when he did, she smashed them into the stew then stirred it with the rest of her ingredients. What also made him glad was that Savage was still unconscious under the tree he had been thrown into because what she said after getting a bowl and pouring some of the stew into it surprised even him.

She turned to three dolls, one that had red and black stripes on its face like him, another that had stripes to match Savage, and another doll whose image Maul didn't recognize. He was confused by this but his suspicions were burning even deeper into his core. "Maul, Savage, Feral, come eat some of this stew with me!" Kycina called to them. _The third one is named Feral, does Savage know who he is? _Maul asked, confused and baffled but also curious.

Unfortunately, the names of the first two dolls all but confirmed his suspicion of any relationship he had to her. He was the child she had given to Sidious to save his life from Mother Talzin when he wasn't even a year old, Savage was indeed his brother, and Maul was exactly why Talzin wanted Kycina to return into her powerful fold. "Don't speak to me like that Savage, Feral needs his strength as he's weaker than you and Maul!" Kycina said though the Feral doll had said nothing to her. He watched as she tried to get the dolls of Maul and Savage to eat the stew in vain, even acting like a real mother and trying it herself and telling them how scrumptious it had tasted to her.

"Maul, please make Savage and Feral eat this, you all need your strength and they'll listen only to you! If you don't eat your food, Mother Talzin will get you," Kycina begged. Then she simply shrugged and warned them not to complain about getting enough to eat before chugging down the remaining stew along with all its chunks of rancor meat and the smashed up bits of the Madness herb. When she began to get drowsy and was about to fall to the floor, Maul stopped her fall and took her to the bed she had made for herself and even decided to fit the dolls into her arm so she had her bedmates with her as her mind healed from the ravages of time and isolation that he had known all too well.

It was then that Savage was finally up and about, wondering why the hell Maul hit him and threw him into a tree when Kycina attacked them. "There is a time and a place for killing Savage and this was neither the time nor the place although we are isolated out here. Besides, Talzin said she would be useful to us if anyone and we need her alive until we know if she can help us or not," Maul replied. "You sound like something else is on your mind, what is it my brother?" Savage inquired.

"Before she wakes up Savage, I want you to know something I suspected and had confirmed to me while you were unconscious. This is our mother and if you don't believe me, take a good look at the dolls she's holding in her arms and tell me you don't see a resemblance to anyone you know," Maul explained. Savage took a look and pointed out all three of the sons of Kycina almost immediately after looking at them. "So you do know who this Feral chap is?" Maul asked, raising a curious eyebrow at his brother.

"Feral was our youngest brother but was also the weakest of us. So weak in fact that though he could fight, I had to shelter him while we grew up on Dathomir. When that witch you met above Raydonia came, Feral and I were chosen for her Selection along with four other males who perished by her hand. Then I offered my life in exchange for her sparing Feral of any harm that could befall him," Savage explained.

"Go on," Maul urged when Savage paused for a moment. "I was brought before Mother Talzin and the Nightsisters then transformed into the beast you see before you. My first test after my transformation was simple: sever my ties with Feral by killing him with my own hands. I snapped his neck with a single hand and was then brought before Dooku to be his apprentice. It was after that that Ventress betrayed me and Talzin sent me in search for you," he concluded.

"I feel your pain brother for I was put through a similar test when I started my life as Lord Sidious' servant. He ordered me to kill a trio of human sisters who clung to each other as I cut them down, one at a time," Maul said, shivering and growling at the memory. "Should we leave Kycina alone until she awakens and hopefully tries not to attack us again?" Savage asked, justly changing the subject. Maul nodded and after perching Kycina's staff on the soft ground next to her, he and Savage both waited in the kitchen area where she had been cooking a stew for the dolls and herself before.

"Let's try some of this, I recall the smell from my days back at Dathomir," Savage said enthusiastically. Maul nodded and recalled that the smell reminded him of a stew Sidious used to either reward or heal him after his missions to different worlds as a young child. Both of them tried it and both of them confirmed the stew as being the one they both remembered from their earlier days in their very different lives. "Let's try not to eat all of it in case she needs something to eat when she wakes up," Maul told his brother after eating some of his.

Savage agreed, knowing that the stew would fill him up quickly in one bowl and knowing there was plenty to go around. Maul washed the bowls while Savage robbed his forehead from where Maul had hit him and noticed a purple swell over his left eye when given a mirror. "Sorry I hit you, it's just that your solution could have cost us her life and made her useless to our cause. We still need her knowledge of the ancient Sith magic and alchemy in order to find a way to harness the power of the souls trapped in the thought bomb orb on planet Ruusan," Maul said to which Savage nodded his acceptance of his brother's apology.

** Talzin felt the presence** of the Madness herb inside Kycina's sleeping mind and knew it was time to encourage her back into the light of the Nightsisters. She visited Kycina's dream form and waited for it to notice her. "You, what are you doing invading my mind once more? Can't you just leave me in peace!" she begged Talzin when she finally noticed her vestige.

"No Kycina, I am not the specter that usually haunts your dreams. I am the flesh and blood body of the woman who banished you here and I have come to you with a command. Come back to sanity and help your sons in their fight against the Jedi, it is the only way the Nightsisters will assert their true place in the galaxy," Talzin answered, her voice conniving but reassuring on the surface. "At what price, might I ask?" Kycina asked her, knowing full well that Talzin always had plans for her servants whether or not they failed her.

"I only need you to help Maul and Savage in their missions together should they need your knowledge of the ancient Sith magic to launch an attack upon the Jedi or Maul's former Master," Talzin said. "And why would Maul want revenge against his former master? What do you even mean by former master anyhow?" Kycina inquired. "Twelve years ago, Maul was apprentice to the Sith Lord Darth Sidious and was facing a Jedi Padawan named Obi-Wan Kenobi alongside his Master Qui-Gon Jinn," Talzin began.

"Get to the point," Kycina interrupted. "Though Maul was successful in killing Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan managed to slice him in half and send him tumbling down a reactor pit. Because his Master did not seek him out, Maul rightfully assumed that he had been forsaken and has since been trying to obtain his revenge against them both," Talzin finished, her story concluded and now all that remained was Kycina's consent to help her two sons. "I will help them but not for you, only for them, is that understood?" Kycina said at last.

Talzin nodded and cured Kycina's conscious mind of its madness as she had done to Maul when Savage brought him to her on Dathomir. In fact, she was even using the very same spell she had used when she brought him back to sanity nearly half a year before this very day. When she finished, she also gave her an outfit fitting of the rank she once had in the tribe: second most powerful sorceress after Talzin herself. And now, Kycina also had the additional knowledge of ancient Sith rituals and spells at her disposal thus making her a far more dangerous adversary than she had been when Talzin ordered her banished and causing Mother Talzin to begin treading a bit more carefully with her sister.

**Maul and Savage were** in for an incredible surprise when Kycina woke up once more. For a whole day, she had been sleeping as the Madness herb's effects took their toll. Now, they witnessed her arise and witness them sitting on two stools that her former insanity had her make for her dolls. Once again, she placed her staff with the burning emerald in front but Savage made no move to stop her this time.

Instead, Maul went for his lightsaber but did not ignite his blade so that he could see what she would do next. "Whoever you two are, you have done a good job looking as my sons would if they were about your exact age! Get out before I use the power of the Nightsisters to destroy you both," Kycina warned. "That's the thing though Kycina: we _are _your sons, Savage and Maul," Maul replied.

"If that is so, who were you given to and how old were you when you were given away?" Kycina inquired, raising an eyebrow. "I was not even a year old when I was given away to an influential human named Palpatine," Maul said. Kycina paused, thinking about that answer then nodding that Maul had answered just as she would intend her real son to answer that question. "And you, if you are Savage, what was the name of the brother I left you with?" Kycina asked Savage.

"His name was Feral and he was younger and weaker than I turned out to be. He was so much weaker than I that he had to be sheltered during his early years in order to survive into his adulthood," Savage answered. Kycina accepted that answer but asked what happened to Feral if what Savage said was true. When Savage told her he had been forced to kill Feral with his own hands by Mother Talzin's witches, Kycina mourned Feral briefly but remained unsurprised at what Talzin caused Savage to do; in fact, Feral's death had stirred a desire that had been thought dead for years on Kycina's part: revenge against Talzin.


	42. SoD: Chapter 6

Chapter Six

"Dooku, we cannot let Maul and his brother gather enough strength to hinder our plans. Assemble your mightiest fleet and hunt him down at once, understood?" Sidious ordered. "Master, a fleet would not be able to find him without a hint of where he could be," Dooku replied. "It does not matter, find out where he is and destroy him before he has a chance to fight me!" Sidious demanded.

"As you command Master, I will have General Grievous assemble the best droids for a fleet. We will divide to scan the planets within our range and destroy him before he can threaten you," Dooku vowed. "No don't divide the fleet, I want it ready and assembled when he is found that way you can destroy him quickly. Have every planet in our territories and the territories of our allies on full alert for Maul and/or his brother," Sidious demanded.

Knowing he lost that battle, Dooku moved on to a suggestion of his own. "If our finest fleet is not to do anything until he is found, then lure him into a trap where the fleet will wipe him and his brother out from the face of the galaxy?" he politely asked. "No, I trained Maul too well to not fall for something as simple but treacherous as that one," Sidious said. Helpless and out of ideas, Dooku began making the arrangements for Grievous to prepare the finest fleet in the CIS.

** "Mother, is there any** way we can safely undo the thought bomb orb and release the souls trapped in it for our own purposes?" Maul asked Kycina when it was agreed she was no longer mad. Once she threw the dolls away, they knew for certain that she was not mad and could now ask her about the thought bomb on Ruusan without risking injury to her or to themselves. "One thing's for certain, you'd need to keep a safe distance while doing that as the shield itself would surely explode and release all the thousands of souls simultaneously. Then you would need something that could invoke such a phenomenon such as my staff for example," Kycina explained.

"Are there any special chants you have to say in the ancient Sith or Nightsister tongues?" Savage asked. He was remembering how Talzin had chanted in an Ancient tongue when she healed Maul's insane mind before also adding his artificial lower body onto him. "No Savage, I merely have to speak to their leader through the Force and call on his hatred for the Jedi in order to release them but as nonphysical matter, they will be of no use to us unless they find bodies. Their original if possible but if not, anybody closely related to the design of their original works as well," Kycina explained to Savage.

"In that case, we will need to leave for Ruusan and the sooner we do that the better," Maul said. "I will need the manuscript written by Exar Kun about how to undo the effects of the thought bomb. It's not a very large one nor was it one that managed to escape the Jedi at the price of entering the mercy of the elements and of time," Kycina replied. "What are we waiting for, let's get the manuscript and leave Felucia at once," Savage demanded.

"If you're in such a hurry, return to the town you started your search for me and ready your cargo ship. Otherwise, wait until I've found the manuscript and then I can clear a rancor-free path all the way back to town," Kycina replied. Savage snarled quietly and Maul smiled at his mother's already-adjusted maternal tone. She had not seen her sons since they were babies and she was treating them like little children though they were in their thirties.

Or so Maul could say for his brother Savage due to his impulsive and oftentimes sloppy nature. "Do not be too harsh on him mother, his mind is a little… direct when it comes to these things if that is the right word to be used," Maul said in his brother's defense. "I know that, your fathers were the same way when I selected both of them to be my mates," Kycina replied with a smile as warm as Maul's had been. "Then we'll wait for you to search for the manuscript then head on to Ruusan where the souls of the ancient Sith await us," Maul declared with enthusiasm after a moment of cheerful silence.

"I'll also need to bring my staff and some other potions that I made during my time here on Felucia. Speaking of the potions, I think it's time I gave you two the one that will be most important for our journey," Kycina said. "And that would be?" Maul inquired. "It's a special mixture I made that gives he or she who drinks it totally immune to Talzin's Spell of Undoing, a spell so powerful even the Gods of the Old Dathomir feared it," Kycina explained.

"Spell of Undoing? Old Dathomir? What are you talking about?" Savage asked. "To explain the Spell of Undoing, it is what it sounds like: it can undo any enhancements Talzin made to your body and to your connectivity to the Force as well as your skills with a lightsaber if powerful enough," Kycina answered.

When neither Savage nor Maul had anything to say, she continued to answer the other two questions. "Before the raise of both Light and Dark Sides of the Force, ancient Gods once controlled the Force and used it to control all life in the universe. In what would become Dathomir, there was a goddess who Talzin is named after that controlled two beautiful planets. One was called Dathomir (which is the one we know to this present day) and _KaiSu Lak'Ton_; it means 'World of the Goddess' in the Dathomiri tongue that Mother Talzin and myself can speak very fluently," she explained.

"What happened to this old world?" Savage asked. "Dathomir and KaiSu Lak'Ton were connected to each other through a city. It was called 'Gateway to Eternal Life' in the ancient tongue but because of its power and its connection to the worlds via a massive tower, it was consumed by the earth. The gods and goddesses of the universe sacrificed their powers and lives to contain Talzin's namesake on KaiSu Lak'Ton and banish it to another dimension where it remains even now," Kycina answered.

"I sensed a tremor on Dathomir shortly after Savage and I left. Could it be that Talzin raised the city from its underground prison?" Maul asked his mother. Her eyes shrunk until the pupils could barely be seen and her face went pale. Then she said, "Talzin is crazy enough to do that, I hope for all our sakes that it isn't the case."

**"What are we waiting for Mother?** Why not just enter the tower now and call the old world back to our dimension now?" Ventress asked. "Because in order to unlock the gate to the tower (never mind call KaiSu Lak'Ton back to this dimension) I need the deaths of thousands of Dark Side users as their souls are the key to unlocking all of it," Talzin answered. "Is that why you are allowing Maul to go and resurrect the ancient Sith Lords that formed the Brotherhood of Darkness, a thousand years ago?" Ventress asked her.

Talzin nodded and added that it was the only way to harvest enough souls to open the gate and call the old world back to this dimension once they arrived at the top of the tower. "I am almost finished with Maul and Kycina but I still have use for your mate, Savage Opress," Talzin explained. "That monster forsook me and ran into the galaxy, why would you want him to serve you and have me to that as well?" Ventress asked, obviously frustrated. "Because enemy or not, Savage is your selected mate and you two must consecrate your bond in order to bring us one step closer to achieving the goal I have strode for during the last thirty or so thousand years," Talzin answered.

"What does consecrating my bond to Savage have to do with unlocking the powers of the old world?" Ventress demanded. "A single act of lust was all that it took to give the Goddess the power to control her worlds without interference from the other gods. It will be another single act of lust that gives her the power to bring the old world back here," Talzin calmly answered her. Ventress shuttered but did nothing to protest Talzin's decision to have her consecrate her mating bond with Savage next time he returned to Dathomir.

** "Found the scroll, time** for us to head to Ruusan and free those trapped souls," Kycina said to her sons. "Indeed it is but first, we need some coordinates to the planet that are up to date just in case the ones I have in my notes on Sith history are no longer valid," Maul said. "Who do you suggest we go to for that kind of information?" Savage asked. "We're going to pay the visit I never got to pay and had hoped to pay when we went to hide in Falleen: we're going to planet Nyx," Maul answered.

"We're meeting this Laertes character you said was their king when you went there twelve years ago?" Savage asked him. Maul nodded and said to Kycina that he would explain everything about Nyx along the way. "It's a long flight to Nyx even with the hyperspace on our ship at full power. I'm trying to see if I can fix it at some point plus we'll be needing fuel anyway and Nyx is a good place to replenish the fuel supply," he added.

"There should be some extra fuel in some of the crates in the cargo hull as the last pilot of this ship delivered fuel and other supplies across the Outer Rim," Savage said. "If it's the right type of fuel for the ship, that may work but we have to make sure it's suited to the ship and not just starfighter quality," Maul replied. "What's the difference?" his brother asked him. "Starfighter fuel burns quicker and it requires high quantities of the fuel to pilot the ship for as long as space battles take," Maul answered.

"If anything good came out of your time with Sidious, I may have to say that it has to do with your knowledge of ships and other machines. Where did you learn such dizzying facts?" Kycina asked. "I used to have my own person starfighter called _Scimitar_, a Sith Infiltrator with the most powerful cloaking device in the galaxy. On every mission, I took it to the planets involved and had to fuel it quite frequently until I customized it to conserve its energy resources," Maul explained.

"Is it still functioning, I mean with you having been presumed dead by your Master and all that?" Kycina asked. "It would be impossible for Sidious to throw it away without anyone picking up on it later. He'd have to keep it in its hangar if he wanted no one to suspect the return of the Sith," Maul answered, shaking his head before talking. Then he added that that hangar was in the heart of the Republic, Coruscant, which would mean immediate detection now that their ship was recognized as theirs.

"That means dumping it at Nyx or Ruusan once we free the ancient Sith Lords," Savage said. "Most likely at Nyx since we can trust it will be destroyed upon request from me unless Laertes is no longer the King or someone supporting or related to him isn't in power now. Last time I went over there, there was a rebellion against Laertes' rule as King of Nyx and my Master sent me to protect him from the rebels," Maul agreed. "Then let's hope the will of the Force decrees that he or one of his supporters rules over the planet," Kycina said.

**"My Master, the fleet** is assembled. Shall we wait until someone reports Maul and Savage's presences in one of our planets or on one of the neutral worlds?" Dooku asked. "Yes, wait for such a report then destroy them even if you have to destroy that entire planet," Sidious answered. "If I may ask Lord Sidious, why are you so afraid of repercussions from your former apprentice?" Dooku inquired.

"I have no idea what you mean to know by asking that," Sidious replied. "Are you afraid Maul will seek you out and attempt to take his revenge on you for abandoning him on your homeworld?" Dooku reiterated. "I am indeed for I have trained him far better than I have trained you in the ways of the Dark Side. He may be more powerful than I even if he only has half the strong body he once had under my service," Sidious answered.

"Perhaps Master it would be best if you came with me to whatever Maul is next reported at and aid in the efforts to wipe out Lord Maul and his monstrous brother. Your connection to him will help me confirm whether or not he is still alive after we have completed our efforts to destroy him. My link to Savage can help confirm his death as well so with both of us present, we can both honestly tell each other they are truly dead," Dooku suggested. "I will think on that apprentice but it is indeed a very good idea," Sidious said.

When Sidious' hologram faded out of existence once more, Dooku scoffed at his Master's paranoid fears of Maul destroying him. Why would Sidious, the most powerful of all the Sith Lords, be afraid of a former apprentice coming to end his life? Why wasn't he looking forward to the challenge Maul and Savage offered instead of cowering away like a little bitch? "I will destroy Maul and that creature Savage _myself_, my Master is too girly in his fears of Maul to be trusted," he thought to himself out loud.

Then he summoned Grievous and told the General may have some use for him in the task of eliminating the Zabrak brothers. "My Master is too fearful of Maul to be allowed to confront him. If anything, Sidious will likely give into his fears and let Maul have the upper hand as he would want. In addition, if he unleashes the souls of the Sith trapped on Ruusan as a rather reliable spy has told me, I will be the only one powerful enough to counter the effects of Kaan's Battle Meditation," Dooku began.

"Do you wish me to infiltrate Lord Kaan's ship and end his life while you have him distracted with the usage of Battle Meditation?" Grievous asked. "Yes General, take four MagnaGuards with you in case he is protected then cut him down when he is alone. It is the only to put an end to Maul's threat for certain and assert that we are the true order of the Sith in our own galaxy. The way I am seeing it, two problems will be eliminated in one brilliant stroke if all goes to plan during this attack on Maul and Savage Opress," Dooku answered.

"I will handpick the best of my guards to assist us in this matter. It will take only the very best to ensure the death of Kaan and the end of the ancient Brotherhood of Darkness for certain," Grievous vowed with enthusiasm. "Do not expect the Jedi to intervene in this matter except to capture one or both of the brothers but if they do intervene, kill them," Dooku ordered. "With my usual undying pleasure, it shall be done immediately my lord," Grievous replied.

** After many hours** on the cargo ship and updating Kycina on what happened to Maul, the trio finally arrived. The door opened to the air of Nyx and Maul knew who was greeting him right when he saw him: King Laertes from twelve years ago. "Hello Maul, welcome back to Nyx. We've been expecting you," the graying King told him with zealous enthusiasm.


	43. SoD: Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

"It's been a long time, have you grown taller Lord Maul and who are these two in your company?" Laertes asked Maul politely. "King Laertes, let me introduce to you my mother Kycina and my brother Savage. Now that that's taken care of, let me ask you a question: how did you know I was coming here?" Maul answered. "Easy enough to answer, the code I left you with before you left Nyx behind you for landing was one that only I am normally allowed to use," Laertes explained.

"So because you and I were the only two who used those codes, you knew who I was right away. Very impressive trick and I don't doubt you've been waiting for me since I left Nyx after saving your people from the Monster and its admirer, Dr. Archimedes," Maul replied. "That's why I gave it to you before I left, the people still believe in their hero more than they believe in their King. You did some great things for this planet and since your arrival, business has thrived mostly on the tourism we get almost every year," Laertes said.

"Tourism? I have no clue what you mean by that," Maul inquired. "We have a massive park mainly dedicated to sculptures made in your honor, entire museums have been open solely to contain paintings made to worship you, and theatres have been made to house the actors involved in plays made about your story. You are probably the most revered person on this world besides the gods themselves," Laertes explained.

"How am I a hero? You and I both know I was nothing but as cold-blooded a killer back then as I am now," Maul asked. "That's not what the people think: they've always thought the Jedi were perversions of the Word and Wisdom of the Gods however, they've never had the courage to stand up to them before. When you killed that old man Darius Othone, you gave them courage but most importantly you gave them something the Jedi would destroy if it meant keeping our planet from the Separatist fold: you gave them hope," Laertes answered.

"Did they find out what happened to me on Naboo, twelve years ago?" Maul asked him. "They did and while initially crushed by Kenobi's blow to their hopes and dreams, they prayed to the gods that you were not dead and would one day return to save them," Laertes answered. "Save them from what?" Maul demanded. "In my opinion, from themselves," his old friend calmly replied.

"Your Majesty, why don't you show Savage the statues that were made in his brother's honor? I want to talk with Maul alone for a moment, go on and we'll catch up," Kycina said. Laertes led Savage away and when Kycina found a shaded corner that had no people nearby, she revealed her thoughts. "Maul, you may have been evil elsewhere but here you are a hero; can't you understand what that means to me or even you?" she asked.

"Mother, Sidious raised me only to kill or else do good things until it was time to betray or murder them, sometimes both. Why do you all see good in me when it's been clearly stripped away from me by Lord Sidious?" Maul replied. "We know your true qualities better than you know them yourself, we know who you are not who you want to be," Kycina said. When Maul had nothing to say in reply except that he had killed Jedi and was seeking revenge against one for slicing him in half, Kycina continued her maternal speech.

"Maul, I know when someone's lost and when there's still a chance for someone to return to good. Your brother is lost forever but what do you expect from a pawn of Mother Talzin? However, since you have escaped her influence all your life there is still a chance you come into the light for the first time. Unless there's a good reason why you haven't come into the light at all?" Kycina asked.

"I once fell in love with Laertes' younger sister who was a Jedi. This was while we were chasing their brother Claudius across several dimensions of the galaxy as he found a way to travel between dimensions. When we finally got him at the end of the road, he fused his mind and body with the soul of an ancient but powerful Sith Lord named Darth Vitiate who once led an Empire that terrorized the Old Republic. Using this newfound strength in addition to the power of the final dimension and her own lightsaber, Claudius killed her remorselessly as I watched helplessly," Maul answered. "She died while protecting you, did she not?" Kycina guessed.

Maul nodded then concluded his tale by explaining how he defeated Claudius, destroyed Vitiate's soul forever, then brought Claudius back to this dimension for Republic justice to take care of him on Maul's behalf. Since then, he continued to seek revenge for Ophelia's death as the Jedi Code had forbidden her from acting on her love for him. "Do not blame the Jedi for their Code, their ways may seem unkind but they are with good reason and always have been," Kycina told her dear son. "How can you be so sure and if not that, what should I blame?" Maul asked.

"Do not blame anything my son, unless you wish to give yourself guilt that you wish to throw on your enemies," Kycina told him. "I… I don't understand," Maul said. "Neither did I when Talzin found out that I had given you away to Sidious (by which time I had already birthed Savage and Feral) and banished me to Felucia. But in my madness, I found salvation from my guilt by holding on to one thing: the love I had for my three sons and the hope that they were all safe even though I failed you," Kycina replied, placing a warm hand on his cheek as she said it. "Failed me how, mother?" Maul asked.

"I tried to save you from that bitchMother Talzin but I gave you to a man rivaling her in his evil! I'm so sorry I didn't know who I was giving you to," Kycina answered before breaking into tears in her son's arms. "Mother, you saved my life from the person you most feared would kill me or put me to a lifetime of slavery. I just regret having not been sent to find you sooner than I was," Maul said, attempting to comfort her.

** Ever since their mother** had joined their company, Savage had noticed his brother's resolve for revenge shrinking. What the hell made him so soft when around their mother and not around him? Did Maul fear Savage would pick up on his weakness and try to exploit it? While Laertes showed Savage what his brother had done more nearly fourteen years ago was living proof that Maul had been a ruthless warrior in his past life.

Why couldn't Savage see that same ruthlessness in him now? Was he merely putting on a fake sense of mother-son affection to fool Savage and hopefully kill him? What did he have to gain from that? "Here is my favorite statue made of your brother in this park, he's fighting Jedi Master Darius Othone who he killed in order to insure that the Jedi did not get involved in our personal affairs," Laertes said.

"It is a truly impressive work of art," he said rather absently. But it indeed was as it depicted his brother using one end of his double-sided lightsaber to stab at Master Othone's gut. However, the artwork could do nothing to make Savage want to bring the point of the family's stay in Nyx. "This is not why we are here though," he said to the King aloud.

"Your brother never dies but he always wants something of me, what is it this time?" Laertes asked. "According to the last map recorded of the planet Ruusan, yours is the nearest system to it. Is that still correct even now?" Savage answered. "Yes, we mine metal ores and minerals there and sell them to the Republic in exchange for protection from the CIS," Laertes said.

"Are the coordinates still the same as they were on Maul's map?" Savage inquired. "Yes they are, we make sure to have cargo ships update us on the coordinates on a weekly basis. If there was any change to them, we would have known about them by now," Laertes replied. "Excellent, when does the next cargo ship leave for Ruusan?" Savage asked.

"The next one leaves in three days, if you wish me to book a flight for you and your family that can be easily done and immediately," Laertes told him. "That works perfect for us all," Savage said. "By any chance, do you have a plan to return here or are you staying there?" Laertes asked. "Take that up with my brother, he will know better than I," Savage answered.

With that taken care of, Savage could now examine his emotions in the knowledge that the journey to Ruusan would be over. Then he realized he was feeling something he had never felt before and as he was not surprised to know, it was about his brother Maul. It was an emotion he knew Feral had felt when they were growing up under Talzin's menacing shadow: jealousy of who his brother was. Now, all he had to do was wait for the chance to either restore that side of Maul or kill him as the Sith ways would allow him to do.

** Talzin could feel Savage's** jealousy beginning to well within him and knew she could use this to hasten the opening of the gate to the temple and the tower at its flat top. The temple itself was a simple pyramid shape with wide stairs that went up to the entrance of the tower. And in order to go inside the temple, one had to enter the tower's entry door and descend via a flight of stairs provided near the center of the temple's bottom floor. The only problem was getting past the gate at the base of the temple which could only be accessed by the deaths of many Sith souls, thus aggravating her need for the souls of the Brotherhood of Darkness.

She would especially need the souls of such powerful ones as Kaan and his Council of Dark Lords. It would ignite the magic fire inside the tower as well as open the entrance to the tower itself thus allowing her to ascend to its top and make preparations to call the old world back to this dimension. The thought of seeing her native people again made her smile and warmed up her heart for the first time in several millennia. After all, her blood family resided on that old world and had used almost all their power to send Talzin to this world before the gods banished the old world from this galaxy, its true home.

"Did the people of this world make the climb up this temple to ascend the tower before arriving at your old home?" Ventress asked. "Yes, it was how the Nightsisters were first initiated into the hierarchy that Dathomir now has. Unless you were born in the old world as I was, you had to fight your way up to it," Talzin answered. Ventress showed her amazement in the expression on her face as well as relief she didn't have to go through that initiation.

"Yes Ventress, soon you and I will be seeing the old world with our own eyes. Let me tell you that though the surface of the planet is far more glorious, looking at the planet from here is still a magnificent site to behold. Look around you now at the smooth round pillars that hold up the roofs of the houses on this city, the massive steps on the temple leading to the tower, and at the tower's round shape with the windows going across every circular section. Isn't it magnificent architecture?" Talzin asked.

"I noticed the hieroglyphs along the wall showing Nightsisters fighting enemy soldiers. They aren't by any chance the Nightbrothers, are they?" Ventress inquired, nodding to answer Talzin's question. "No, those were the days when men dominated our society and forced us women to rebel against their evil power," Talzin explained. Ventress seemed surprised at the idea that men were ever stronger than the Nightsisters but said nothing, only continued to admire the ancient architecture that would impress even the Jedi.

And now, Maul and Savage were close to Ruusan with the release of the souls of the Brotherhood of Darkness soon to follow their arrival with Kycina. Now that Kycina's magic could be relied on, she would be able to succeed in activating the power of the entire town and the tower before calling the old world back. Now that they had arrived at the gate after exploring the city, all the two of them needed to do now was sit and wait. Wait for the arrival of the massive fleet that represented the large remnants of the Brotherhood of Darkness itself.


	44. SoD: Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

"Brother, the coordinates to Ruusan from here are still accurate. His Majesty even said Nyx-based companies make regular shipments of durasteel extract and cortosis ore. In addition, he can schedule us a flight on one of those ships headed for Ruusan in three days," Savage said to his brother when he met up with them again. "That's good Savage but we're not headed there just yet, we'll need to ask him if they ever export that stuff to Coruscant so I can get the _Scimitar _back from it hangar assuming my Master was wise and kept it there," Maul replied when he had a spare moment.

Kycina was tired from another day of using her magic to create more potions at the reservation Laertes had made for them in his Grand Palace. Maul was tucking her into bed when Savage arrived and delivered the news to him. "Why are you so interested in that ship and I know it isn't just its invisibility cloak?" Savage asked. "It's been my sole transport for every mission I have been on in the name of my lord, I have a special connection to it as a result of that," Maul answered.

Savage shrugged then left to sleep in the reserved room made to accommodate him due to his massive stature and night habits. When Kycina asked what the noises were coming from, Maul assured her it was just Savage being a lady's man in the old fashion manner: seducing a girl for one night and taking away any virginity she had for life. "Will you tell him that's bad for his health if he does it too much, please?" Kycina whispered, trying to be a mother even though she was tired. "I will when the morning comes, he'll be too busy tonight for me to lecture him," Maul replied.

"Tell him now please," she demanded, though her exhaustion made it barely more than a mumbled whisper of a demand. Maul chuckled and said he would then she fell completely into sleep and didn't come back out for at least eleven hours. Though he had told her he would tell Savage to quit screwing the first woman to give him the cue, he never did because he knew it wouldn't persuade Savage not to do it. Instead, he took a look through the sacks that Kycina had tied to her belt and found something he never expected to see again in one of them: the dolls she had used to represent him and his brothers during her madness.

Perhaps she had foreseen something where they would be involved and wasn't telling him. He didn't bother to ask her as he had faith she would tell him when she was ready. They so much to talk about when the matter of revenge against Kenobi and Sidious was over and they were alive anyway. Perhaps this would be just one more thing for them to discuss with Savage once they had gone into hiding.

But Maul had one last thing to do before he could worry about sleep. He had to call Kenobi again and tell him when to meet him on Dathomir again. _Kenobi, if you can hear me reply immediately. Can you head me Kenobi? _he asked through the Force.

**Kenobi felt the familiar entry** of Darth Maul into his mind and listened to what the fallen Sith Lord had to say this time. Then he heard Maul say, _Kenobi, if you can hear me reply immediately. Can hear you hear me Kenobi?_ Obi-Wan thought about how to reply to that then replied in the most obvious way possible.

_I hear you my old foe, have you decided when we will meet again? _Obi-Wan asked. _Meet me on Dathomir before the end of one standard week. There might be a little wait involved but I will be there to fight you again _Maul answered. _Then it is decided, I fight you again and must I be alone again? _Obi-Wan asked, remembering what happened last time Maul told him to come fight him alone.

_No, my brother Savage will not intervene in this fight. It will be the true battle between you and me _Maul said. _Then I will see you at the end of one standard week for our final battle against one another to see who is greater. Does the loser die in this? _Obi-Wan asked. _Perhaps and perhaps not _Maul said.

Obi-Wan tried to inquire as to what he meant but Maul did not reply. It would appear that Maul had let go of at least some of the hate and vengeance he had first felt when he had first been returned to the galaxy seeking Kenobi's head with his brother's help. Whether Obi-Wan could call that a respectable characteristic of his enemy or not was beyond him but he remembered to ask him one single question. Would Qui-Gon have insisted that Maul be forgiven even though he was the one Maul gutted all those years ago?

** In the morning, Maul** and Savage requested to have passage on the next ship to Coruscant so Maul could retrieve _Scimitar_. "If you're looking outside the center of the city, I've got a ship going to Sector 179B-290P3 near an entrance to the criminal Underworld," Laertes said. "That's perfect, we can disappear without a trace if we slip into the Underworld until we're near the _Scimitar_'s place of rest. The Jedi won't even suspect we're there until we've taken the ship and left," Maul said.

"Keep in mind that two massive Dathomiri Zabraks (especially this one) walking around with a small human woman are going to stand out. How are we going to avoid the attention of the criminals once we've securely thrown the Jedi off of our trail?" Savage asked. "One criminal's death can secure that you're left alone for an entire section of the Underworld unless it's someone prestigious or is done in the domain of someone prestigious amongst the scum," Maul answered. "And if that were to happen, what then?" Kycina inquired.

"Is there a spell you can use to throw them off guard until we have escaped?" Savage asked. "Good idea, I was about to ask that myself," Maul agreed. "I can wipe out their memory but that will only last until we have escaped. It's not powerful enough to do any permanent damage to their minds," Kycina answered.

"Good enough for me, we'll hopefully be flying back to Ruusan with the ship by the time they remember our appearance or close to it at the very least," Maul said enthusiastically. "But why avoid the Jedi, are they not our enemy and hunting us down at any rate?" Savage inquired curiously. "As much as I do not deny they are our enemy, I don't want unnecessary confrontation with them until I can lure Obi-Wan out to Dathomir by himself. Any sooner than that and any other way would be pure suicide or capture for all three of us," Maul said, adding Kycina's magic wouldn't do good against the Jedi once they were captured.

"I may be powerful but I'm not sure how many Jedi I could kill before one of them reached me and took my staff or worse, killed me. Unlike Mother Talzin, I have some reservation in taking even a single life in self defense," Kycina admitted. "Very well, is this goodbye forever like I thought the last goodbye had been?" Laertes asked. "Hopefully not but who knows what will happen?" Maul answered.

"I'm glad to have seen you again anyway, old friend. No matter who thinks you otherwise, you are a hero of Nyx and will be treated as such whenever you visit our honorable planet," Laertes said to him. "Thank you Your Majesty and I must say something now: I'm sorry," Maul replied. "Sorry for what Maul?" Laertes asked before seeing Maul's expression.

** "It won't be long now** before the power of the Dark Side is used to aid us," Talzin said. "What makes you so certain of that, Mother?" Ventress asked. "Once Maul regains his ship _Scimitar_, he'll use it and its invisibility cloak to travel to Ruusan, completing his mission," Talzin answered. "An invisibility cloak, how big is the ship?" Ventress inquired.

"Longer and sleeker than a Separatist vulture droid but about the same width, why?" Talzin asked. "Normally, no ship that size has a cloaking device but it would seem this one is an exception," Ventress answered. "It matters not so long as Maul, Savage, and Kycina make it to Ruusan and free Skere Kaan and his fellow Sith. With the power of the Brotherhood of Darkness, these brothers and their mother will at last fulfill the destiny Savage began when I sent him in search of his brother," Talzin said.

"So he did come to you after he fled the Separatist Dreadnaught above Toydaria," Ventress stated. "Yes and he was severely wounded from blaster bolts fired by the battle droids Dooku ordered to shoot him after he turned on you and Dooku. I healed his limp and the damage to his abdomen before he went on his way, his eye healing along the way and his most damaged horns settling into cauterized stumps forever," Talzin told her disciple. "Then why did Savage fight me over Raydonia and why do you want him to ally with me just to traditionally consecrate our bond; couldn't you have given him direction not to attack me?" Ventress asked.

"You are not innocent in the manner of him attacking you there. Remember that you mocked him about still being the animal he was when he served you then chastised his brother by saying that he was 'half the man' Savage was," Talzin answered. Ventress admitted guilt on that end and asked why the red bars on the sides of the gates seemed to increase in their size with each passing minute. "The souls of the dead on Dathomir are being slowly absorbed into the energy source fueling this city's magic and that does include the souls of the Nightsisters who were massacred by Dooku's minions from Karis to Old Daka," Talzin explained calmly.

"Does that include the soldiers in the Army of the Undead as well?" Ventress asked. Talzin nodded and added that being the ones dead longer, they were being the first to be pulled into absorption of their power before facing oblivion. "That seems to cruel a fate in exchange for the power they have to offer, don't you think?" Ventress asked Talzin rhetorically. Talzin shook her head, saying that any measure necessary to avenge their fallen sisters against Dooku and then take over the rest of the galaxy was neither cruel nor unnecessary.

"In order to achieve such a galaxy-altering goal as ours, equally great measures must be taken. There is no such thing as victory without a cost in any battle whether it'd be in the mind or not," Talzin told her. Ventress could relate to that since she led plenty of Separatist victories and knew all too well that they could sometimes cost her dearly. After that discussion, Ventress decided it was best not to press the issue any further and watched as their time to enter the tower came closer and closer.

** "I'll have your strongest drink** straight up," Savage said to a bartender deep in the Coruscant Underworld. "My dear son, must you really drink whatever disgusting stuff he gives?" Kycina whispered after Savage was served his drink. "It's part of looking normal in this forsaken part of Coruscant," Maul interjected. "If this is normal while we're here, I think I'd rather take my chances standing out from the crowd," Kycina said.

"You're actually doing a good job of a normal woman in these parts so keep it up, mother," Maul said to her. Kycina shrugged and told Savage she still didn't like him drinking though she knew she could do nothing to stop him from doing so. But Maul helped by admitting that he believed she was right about Savage having to be careful lest he perform poorly when forced to use his lightsaber or the Force. Savage promised to have only two cups then he would drink no more for the rest of the filthy night.

"Hey hot stuff, you want to go up to my room and have some fun?" a pirate asked Kycina, the alcohol reeking his breath. "I think I'll pass," Kycina answered before using some of the magic from her staff to blow his head off. When everyone in the bar stopped to look at the mess she made, she warned that if anyone else asked to have some fun with her they would share the same fate. "Can we ask one of those big men with you, miss?" a prostitute in the back asked her.

Before Savage could speak, Kycina put her foot down and said no. "Your woman is strict yellow guy, you sure she doesn't want you for herself?" the whore asked Savage. "I'm pretty sure my mother wouldn't want me for herself in that disgusting way," Savage answered. She flipped him off then walked out but for once, Savage was glad he had his mother to stop him from taking that woman up on her offer.

Though he didn't mind doing it from time to time, Savage began to realize that he found no solace and no rest in getting laid with the first prostitute that asked him. He was almost getting low on credits and since his Separatist accounts had been deactivated as a result of his treason, it wasn't like he was going to get another withdrawal like he did last time. It was exactly why he pulled out all the funds he had while his accounts were still active and carried them around in the most portable ways possible: attaching them to his belt and in a concealed pocket under his shoulder plates. To make things more interesting, his credits were all unmarked thus not revealing his true allegiance whenever he made a purchase or paid for something important.

One time, he made a trip to the doctor when he got a chance and while he was lucky to have no STD's from any of his encounters something else was wrong. According to the doctor, he had higher amounts of testosterone than was healthy for someone of his species and stature. "As it is, your size is unique to Iridonian Zabraks unless you're not Iridonian," the doctor had added. "I haven't even heard of an Iridonian Zabrak, I'm Dathomirian," Savage had told him.

"In that case, you're even more unique than all my other cases with Zabraks," the doctor had replied with enthusiasm. "What can I do to get rid of it?" Savage had asked him. "If you have a mate on Dathomir, it is said the males are cursed to never be sexually satisfied until they have united their flesh with the mate that selected them. You could give that a shot if you're a lady's man back on Dathomir," the doctor had explained. Savage never thought about that comment afterwards until now and wondered if it was indeed true; only Talzin would know.

** "Something troubles you Master,"** Grievous said to Count Dooku. "Yes, I have no idea how powerful Kaan is and I have not used Battle Meditation very much. Perhaps it's best we call in someone who would have a better idea of it than I do. Contact Sora Bulq and tell him I wish to see him for a very special assignment," Dooku said.

"He knows how to deploy Battle Meditation for our benefit?" Grievous asked. "Better than I would, yes. Don't delay anymore General, find him and tell him he must come to Serenno for his assignment," Dooku ordered. "Yes Master, I will contact Sora Bulq immediately," Grievous said before walking off to obey Dooku's simple command.

After that, Dooku had a moment to himself for the first time in a while and was glad he did. Indeed it would be a while before he had another private moment once this attack had begun commencing. That is, if commencing ever had to begin and for his master's sake, he hoped not.


	45. SoD: Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

"Kenobi, I am contacting you on the open frequency so that your fellow Jedi can't trace me. Are you available?" Dooku's hologram asked his Jedi enemy. "Yes Dooku, I can speak with you. What do you want?" Kenobi replied, his tone underlying his enmity toward Dooku.

"Darth Maul is not just your enemy but mine too. He killed Qui-Gon Jinn who was a friend of mine and a former apprentice. And now, I have learned he may be rallying a fleet powerful enough to fight against both the Republic and the CIS," Dooku began. "And your point is?" Obi-Wan asked, interrupting what would have probably have been a long, boring speech.

"It may be too powerful for us to defeat alone but perhaps united we stand a chance," Dooku answered. "I already promised him I would face him alone at the end of the week, why would I want to bring a fleet when I've made my promise?" Obi-Wan inquired. "Because it would insure that you faced him alone unless I kill him before you have to face him again. Besides, would you rather not have to worry about soldiers firing at your back while you face him?" Dooku replied.

Obi-Wan handed him that one and asked him when he should have his fleet ready to unite with Dooku's equally massive fleet of Separatists. "Assemble it as soon as possible and meet me above the atmosphere of Dathomir when you are ready. If that is their base, we want to hit them where they make camp before they can strike at us," Dooku answered. Kenobi shrugged and said he would assemble his fleet and meet Dooku in two standard days at which point, Dooku disconnected the transmission he made to the Jedi.

Just then, Kenobi felt a disturbance in the Force but he couldn't pinpoint a possible source for it. He wasn't even sure where it was coming from but it did seem familiar. Then he lost it, as had been the pattern of these disturbances in the last day or two. It seemed as though the source of them was carefully covering their tracks and only having a moment where they dropped their guard before realizing it was dropped then disappearing once more.

As paranoid as it sounded, was there a reason this was happening to him? Was it happening to someone else, Dooku or Anakin perhaps? And why were these disturbances so frequent and so small in their occurrence? There was no way to tell except by sitting back and waiting to see what would happen.

**After a consecutive standard** day of travel, Maul, Savage, and Kycina all arrived at an old tower where Maul stopped in his tracks. "Brother, what is it?" Savage asked. "Is this the place?" Kycina inquired. Maul nodded to his mother but added he was trying to see what security was inside the tower.

"Where is the ship?" Savage asked. "At the very top of this tower but security is controlled in the basement. Unless we can somehow knock out the security systems, the droids in there will know we're coming inside," Maul answered. "Perhaps my magic can help solve that problem," Kycina offered.

"Is there a way you can take out the security systems whether or not the droids can be shut down as well?" Maul asked. Kycina nodded and said she would begin the spell immediately. All she did was merely touch the emerald of her staff against a wire on the ground and let a vine of green energy creep up the wire until it reached the tower. Then it diversified into multiple vines, all of which attacked the security systems Maul wanted taken out before entrance into the tower itself.

At first, the systems seemed to work more powerfully than ever before and the lights were brighter than was safe for the entire block. Then, in a single instant, the lights exploded and the security systems were overridden thus blinding the droids to the danger approaching their domain. The doors swung open, exposing a massive hallway with many passages, most of which seemed only to lead into darkness. But if the tower had not been deconstructed then reconstructed Maul knew which one would take them up to his ship, _Scimitar_.

Slowly, Maul his way towards the gate and grabbed the hilt of his lightsaber, keeping it ready in case they were spotted. Knowing how alert the droids were back in his day with them as his trainers, Maul was willing to bet that wouldn't take long. "Brother, must we go in and get your ship when we could easily have just taken that cargo ship on Nyx, gone to Ruusan and returned with an army in no time?" Savage asked. "It is necessary that we obtain this ship, its invisibility cloak will protect us from _all _forms of enemy attention until we're ready to strike back," Maul answered.

"We could have revived them and had a fleet rolling forth to crush all our enemies in one brilliant stroke by now! Why do you stubbornly insist on obtaining this ship from your glory days as Sidious' slave?" Savage inquired. "Because one day, I will need its powerful invisibility cloak to exact my revenge upon Sidious," Maul replied. Savage stopped right there and now understood that his brother had been planning two turns ahead of him once again as he usually did.

"Think before you ask questions Savage, perhaps it will help you understand your brother's intent (whether it is one I like or not and I don't like this one) in the future. You are too quick to pass judgment on your brother when you do not even know the full insight into his plans," Kycina told her younger and more immature son. "Thank you mother, I was beginning to become aggravated by Savage's tone," Maul said. One of the droids finally came out and revealed an electrostaffs with yellow electricity glowing on each end.

"I think it's time we began our battle for the _Scimitar_. Now we fight, mercilessly and without compromise," Maul declared before activating his blade. Savage ignited his own lightsaber and Kycina's emerald started to burn green fire then all three charged into the facility and began their assault. Kycina shot bolts of green energy at the droid and even managed to blow its head off with one of her shots.

Savage's double-sided lightsaber acted both as weapon and as a shield for his brother who began assailing the droids with his skills in Juyo. Whenever a droid got close to her, Kycina blasted it to pieces with her staff which penetrated through the staff and into their chest before melting their circuits and permanently deactivating them. "Maul, Savage, gather around me! I have an idea as to how we can past the bulk of the droids," Kycina shouted after enough passed and it looked as though they would be overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of them.

Maul did as instructed and protected their mother from the droids that had blasters as they did so. Kycina took her staff, held the emerald facing the ceiling and the butt of the staff facing the ground. Then she quickly recited an incantation and thrust her staff downwards, the emerald glowing as she threw it down. Without even being told to, Savage and Maul turned around and covered their eyes as the butt of Kycina's staff smacked the ground and an explosion of green light briefly overcame everything that could be seen.

When the light finally died, all that remained of the droids were charred pieces of steel that began to burn very lightly. There were even pieces of wires that were releasing sparks every now and then. Maul looked around him and Savage repeated his example, seeing the devastation their mother's magic had caused to their enemies. "Remind me never to get on your bad side, mother," Maul said after a long moment of silence. She giggled and asked if he would like to lead the way to his ship now.

"Gladly, cover me and Savage from behind as we ascend the tower. We may need you to do that again and I want to be able to reach you when you do," Maul said. "Don't get us surrounded and maybe it won't happen," Kycina replied, a warm smile dazzling her aged face. "I'll try not to," Maul said with a quick wink before continuing his ascension up the stairs leading to his beloved ship.

The droids kept coming but now Maul and Savage had them where they needed them to be: in a narrow passage with no means of surrounding the trio. Maul grabbed one through the Force and hurtled it into its friends then let Savage run in front of them and hack them all to bits. Kycina used her staff's magic to finish off those that survived the wrath of the brothers and their abilities with a lightsaber. As there were thirty levels on the tower and still several droids in the basement, Maul hoped to reach the ship before having to deal with them and even advised Kycina to occasionally peak behind them to make sure they didn't get trapped between two legions of droids.

Kycina did as her son asked and every time, she reported that there still were no droids behind them. Maul deduced they were emergency units powered by the security systems in the basement and would only be activated if the security had told them to be. That meant there were only these droids to deal with and once he got to the guns on his ship, he would surely be able to deal with them easily. The only trouble, of course, was getting there but this would be worth all the effort they were presently putting in to slice down droids and deflect their blaster fire back at them.

** Count Dooku landed on** Nyx shortly after hearing a report that Maul had been there with Savage and a woman they claimed was their mother. When he heard it, he knew he had to prove whether or not it was true but he also hoped that he didn't have to make an arrest since Nyx was a neutral world and attempting to arrest King Laertes would surely result in retaliation from the Republic. It was the last thing he needed just when he had prepared a fleet to take on Maul whenever the reports of him gathering an army were confirmed by his spies in Dathomir.

"Count Dooku, such an unexpected surprise. Have you come to personally pick up a shipment or have you come to once more attempt to sway my world to the cause of you and your precious Separatists?" Laertes asked. "Neither, I am here to ask you about something you may know," Dooku answered. When Laertes assured him they were in an area that was forbidden to all but himself and others he selected, Dooku continued.

"It has come to my understanding you have had involvement with a man calling himself Maul, his brother Savage, and his mother Kycina. Is this true?" Dooku inquired. "I have no idea as to the last two you mention but I was involved with a man named Maul early in my reign. My people still revere him as the savior of our entire system," Laertes explained.

"Did this man say who he was associated with at the time?" Dooku asked. "Why do you ask about a man who has not been to my world in fourteen years? You're a little slow on the times, aren't you?" Laertes asked, ignoring the Count's inquire. "Do not test me boy, I am powerful beyond even the strongest of your pathetic bodyguards," Dooku answered.

"Oh that I understand and threats like that are _exactly _why I have not joined the CIS yet. Until you can learn to negotiate with me like a civilized man, I will _never _even consider giving up my planet's neutrality for any reason whatsoever," Laertes said, sneering as he said it. "Thank you for your time, I think I will leave now that I know how much you're willing to cooperate in my search for this evil man," Dooku said after pausing for a short moment. "Who is more evil between the man who has only his vengeance but saves an entire world or a man who has everything at his feet who uses his power for only his on selfish purposes?" Laertes asked before Dooku was out of sight and on his way back to Serenno.

** Maul, Savage, and** Kycina had all made it halfway up the tower when at last, the droids stopped coming in wave after relentless wave. Initially, it was celebrated but then Maul's grim expression stopped all festivities. "What is it, my dear son?" Kycina asked. "Unless I'm wrong, we're in for another surprise more menacing than this," Maul answered.

"What is this surprise you speak of, brother?" Savage asked. "Droids trained to use a lightsaber though not near as perfectly as you or I can. I hope I'm wrong but don't be upset if I'm right," Maul answered. Then, as he had warned, several droids with lightsaber hilts at their waists walked to all sides of them and surrounded them immediately.

"Find your ship Maul and take Savage with you, I've seen these before and I can deal with them now. Savage's father taught me a few things about blade combat and besides, I need to see if my combat skills are rusted at all," Kycina said. "No, we're not separating we're staying together at all times!" Maul shouted.

"Then none of us get to your ship and our plans for the galaxy are compromised," Kycina replied. Maul thought about that briefly as the droids began to slowly march toward them. "Be careful mother, they will show no mercy as did none of the other droids we have faced," Maul said. Then he and Savage hacked their way through several of the droids before Kycina called the rest back to her.

With her sons continuing the journey all three of them had started, Kycina could now deal with the droids herself. She shot a bolt at two of them and successfully blew their heads off with the bolts of green magic. Then she disintegrated and absorbed her staff into her body and called the two lightsabers on the ground to her hands with the Force. "All right you walking hunks of metallic shit, let's see what you have got," Kycina said to the droids, then attacked them with her new weapons.

**After running away from** the scene of their mother taking on several combat droids by herself, Maul and Savage stopped and beheld a long, elongated ship with a massive amount of dust layering its metal plates. It looked like its last ounce of fuel had long since been drained but Maul recognized it for what it was immediately: _Scimitar_. Using the Force, he cleaned the dust off of his Sith beauty and brought several fuel hoses over to where they were meant to be inserted. "It will be sometime before I can check the interior of the ship as I have to fuel it in order to activate it but during that time, we can check on our mother," Maul said once the fuel pumps were in their place.

"If what she says is true, she should be fine right now," Savage said. "One cannot be too careful in situations like this with our mother," Maul replied. Then he ran back to where they left Kycina to face the droids but Savage stayed behind to watch the ship as it was fueled for the first time in twelve years. He had some things to think about now that his brother was starting to care about their mother as much as he did.


	46. SoD: Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Maul found his mother surrounded by the ruin of dozens of mutilated and dismembered droids. In her hands were two lightsabers stolen from two of the units just before she threw them to the ground. "Where is your staff?" Maul asked. She opened one hand and green light began to glow in her hands before taking on the shape of her staff then the gold color with the green emerald on its top.

"Happy now?" Kycina asked, teasing her eldest son. Then she walked past him and went to join Savage while he watched her go and scanned the damage she left in her wake. "Where did you learn to fight like that?" he asked after catching up with her. "Like I said before, Savage's father taught me a couple things while we were a mated pair," Kycina explained.

"Was Savage's father a great warrior?" Maul inquired. "Don't tell Savage himself that I said this, but I believed his father to be a far better man intellectually and in terms of fighting than Savage himself is now," Kycina replied. Maul asked if he was really that impressive and she told him how she believed that if there was any man who was could be considered the greatest of the Nightbrother warriors, it was Savage's father. "I never met a man with such prowess in the art of combat and such a heart as what he had had for me," Kycina said.

"And my father, what was he like in comparison?" Maul asked her. "Even though he was not as skilled as Savage's father in combat, he had the strongest willpower of any warrior I had ever faced. Talzin would need the Spell of Undoing to kill him and it would be barely enough, his will to live was that powerful," Kycina answered quietly. Maul looked surprised and she told him she saw that same willpower within him only improved in proportion to the fact that he was a former Sith Lord and his father had just been an ordinary Nightbrother with extreme willpower.

"Is that part of why you see good in me even when no one else does?" Maul asked. "It's part of how I know you can come into the light even though you've been in the dark all your life. As I said before, Savage is a lost pawn of Mother Talzin but as you have escaped your fate you can break your chains. However, it must be you and you alone who breaks those chains when the time comes," Kycina answered.

Maul nodded, not entirely sure if he understood what she meant but definitely desiring to assure her he had listened to her. "Remember Maul, people helping you to break their chains and trying to let them do it for you are not one and the same. When you and Savage came back to me, that helped me break the chain of madness besides the effects of the Madness Herb as a remedy," she added. "The final line of the Sith Code is _Through victory, my chains are broken_," Maul suggested.

"There are truths to that but there are also falsities in it like everything else in our lives. You still have a chance to understand that while you are young, I didn't learn of it until after Feral and Savage were taken from me by Talzin," Kycina replied. Finally, Maul had one last question to ask of his mother and it was one that would undoubtedly cut into her core. "Does Savage know what you've told me about his father?" he asked.

"No and neither did Feral, I don't think. It is customary that a Nightsister kill her Nightbrother mate after he has produced one or two children. If both are sons, then they will share the same fate as their father but if they are both daughters then they will share their mother's fate as a Nightsister," she answered. "Yet Savage and I escaped the fate of the other Nightbrothers though for different reasons," he said, remembering how she saved him.

"You two are the first in possibly centuries to have done that. I just wish I had known Savage would become Talzin's pawn sooner, I might have done something to save him," she said. "It was the will of the Force that Savage became Talzin's slave and found his way to me, perhaps it will be the will of the Force that I bring him back up from that life," he said. "Who knows what will happen, Talzin's hold over him is very powerful," she admitted.

They rendezvoused with Savage who told them that the ship was fully fueled and ready for flight whenever Maul was. Maul took his time boarding his old ship, eying everything that he had once used to conquer entire worlds and destroy criminal underworlds from within. Though dusty, the probe droids lied motionless where he had left them all those years ago and the controls of the ship were the same as he remembered them. He had it activated and ready for flight in mere seconds though it had been nearly thirteen years since he flew it.

Opening the launching hatch, Maul activated the ship's invisibility cloak shortly after the sun began to shine on the elegant Sith tool. "Brother, won't we be seen by the Jedi as we're this obvious?" Savage asked. "No Savage, I just activated the invisibility cloak thus we only need to relax and pilot the ship through the atmosphere of Coruscant. We will only be suspected if we bump into one of the airspeeders in the main lanes but we're not going to any of those," Maul answered.

"The ship's invisibility cloak is that powerful?" Kycina asked her son. Maul nodded and added that she and Savage could just sit back and relax while he piloted the ship to Ruusan. Once a hyperspace lane that was closest to it was clear for travel, Maul put in the coordinates and launched the ship's effective and incredibly fast hyperdrive. It was a good feeling to once again travel in _Scimitar _but this time for a mission he took of his own accord: to create an army of vengeful souls from the past.

**"According to Dooku, Maul** hopes to amass a fleet that would surely destroy the Republic _and _the CIS if we allowed him to build it. It's only reasonable that we build a fleet of our own to confront him or else to face one of Dooku's in case he only said that to bring us into a final face-off with him," Obi-Wan told Masters Yoda and Windu. "And did Dooku not recommend that we amass our finest troopers into a single fleet and nothing less?" Windu asked. "Over planet Dathomir as well, hmm?" Yoda agreed.

"Dathomir is one of few planets that is actually in the midway between Serenno and Coruscant if going by a normal route for war. It could very easily be that Dooku only wishes to travel the same distance as us for one last battle in the Clone Wars. That sort of gamble is what we've been waiting for him to make since this war begin nearly three years ago if I may say so," Obi-Wan answered to both senior Jedi. "Suggest early end to the war he wants, do you?" Yoda inquired.

"It's a safe bet to make especially now that Darth Maul is alive and can very easily be used as a cover story for such a dark intent," Obi-Wan replied. "Then we'll help you assemble your fleet and send you to Dathomir before the end of the week," Windu said. "Thank you Master and I hope for the sake of us all that I am right in my suspicion but if Dooku's right and Darth Maul is somehow involved…", Kenobi never finished that thought nor did he need to.

** "I can sense them Ventress,** they are close to their destiny now. It is only a matter of time before we have the power to destroy all enemies of Dathomir and banish their souls to an oblivion worse than any thought bomb created by Sith sorcery," Talzin declared. "And how many times have we heard that one before?" Ventress asked. "This time though, they are truly close to their goal and you only heard it that first time because I thought they were headed to Ruusan but turned back so Maul could obtain his ship _Scimitar_," Talzin answered.

"If only it would be a little sooner, I loath just sitting around and waiting in this place. Besides, the residents don't look like they appreciate our presence near the temple and who could blame them?" Ventress complained. "They never do but because I am a daughter of the Goddess, they _must _allow me and anyone with me to approach the temple unless they'd sooner not see their goddess again," Talzin replied. "But why did Maul turn around and head for Coruscant if he was already so close to Ruusan?" Ventress inquired.

"Because of a fondness Maul had with a certain ship from his days as Sidious' apprentice: the Sith Infiltrator known as _Scimitar_. Its invisibility cloak is powerful enough to hide him from even the finest of the Republic's sensors in the interior of Coruscant," Talzin answered. "He took a massive risk by going to Coruscant for just a ship, I would have left mine behind if it was in the hands of the Jedi scum," Ventress stated disgustedly. "But your ships did not have the advantage of an invisibility cloak, he could use _Scimitar _to escape this place if he survives what will transpire here," Talzin replied calmly.

After a moment of welcomed silence, Talzin remembered something Savage had given her before going with Maul to find Kycina. "Here it is: one of your lightsabers you lost when you fought Savage after Maul's return," Talzin said after digging around in her sleeve. "Savage came to you with this after our duel above Raydonia?" Ventress inquired, confused but curious. Talzin nodded and told her to be more careful with her weapons if she hoped to survive until she could be embraced by the Goddess herself.

"I will Mother, you can be sure of that one," Ventress said. "Good, now wait patiently. Even in hyperspace, the trio could take a day or two to reach Ruusan," Talzin replied. Ventress nodded and decided she would meditate while they waited for the trio to reach Ruusan, something Talzin felt she herself could do with as well.

** "Brother, what are we doing** back on Nyx? Dooku or someone not allied with us would surely have picked up on our trail and set a trap for us by now," Savage asked. "Patience Savage, I only stopped here because it is as far as one trip can take us. I need to plug in new coordinates if we are to reach Ruusan and besides, the invisibility cloak still has its effects plus I activated it right when we got out of hyperspace," Maul answered.

"We are safe Savage, do not fret when your brother is piloting this ship," Kycina said, assuring Savage he didn't need to worry about being caught. "What makes you so certain of his capabilities and not mine, mother?" Savage asked. "Savage, I have as much faith in your capabilities as I do in Maul's. I am merely suggesting that you also have faith in your brother's abilities as I do," Kycina answered.

"Then why so distant from me and not my brother?" Savage asked very bluntly. "You haven't approached me as Maul has and made the strives to become closer. I am only one person and can only do so much you have to help me otherwise I don't know what to do, let alone how much I can do," Kycina answered calmly but also bluntly. Maul asked if they could stop arguing and relax for the final stretch of the ride to Ruusan as it was going to be long though not as long as the stretch from Coruscant to Nyx.

"And you need to tell me something: when I found you and brought you back to Dathomir, you wanted nothing short of revenge against Kenobi for slicing you in half! What has brought about this change in your behavior and I know it isn't just our mother's presence with us," Savage inquired. "Maul, you were sliced in half by someone?" Kycina asked. "Oh so you haven't even told her what that Jedi did to you twelve years ago, well allow me to do that!" Savage shouted.

Savage went on to tell Kycina of how twelve years ago, Maul had nearly perished because his ego allowed for a young human Jedi named Obi-Wan Kenobi to sever his lower and upper body. He also told her of how Savage himself had found Maul raving mad with the power of the Dark Side and brought him back to Dathomir for healing. When he did heal, Maul had desired nothing of Kenobi's slow, painful death at Maul's own hand and Savage promised to aid him in that matter. He concluded by telling Kycina of their adventures after their first attempt on Kenobi's life and of how Savage had lost his left arm fighting Obi-Wan and Naboo shortly before Maul had nearly been forced to abandon him to the Republic troops stationed there.

"Why else did you think I got this hideous attachment? Did you think it was just a weapon I wore across my arm all the time?" Savage asked. "Maul, is it true what Savage is saying about you and him?" Kycina begged, wanting to know if her son had taken her for a fool. Then Maul admitted that what Savage said was true from beginning to end including that he had been sliced in half and wanted nothing short of revenge against Obi-Wan Kenobi.

"Show me this cybernetic attachment you have, son. If anything, I will be able to use it as a visual confirmation of what Savage has said," Kycina demanded. At first, Maul wanted to resist her demand or pretend like he hadn't heard her ask that of him. Then he succumbed and stripped off his robes until she could see the cybernetic attachment Talzin had given him when Savage first brought him back to Dathomir.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you mother, it didn't occur to me that you would need to know. Otherwise I would have done so much sooner," Maul said. Kycina looked at her son's deformity with tears running down her eyes. Then she told him to put his clothes back on and never again show her his cybernetic apparatus.

"If you do, I think I'm going to be sick," she added. "But now you know the full truth of what your son and I do. We are cold-blooded killers whether you like it or not!" Savage said. At first, Maul moved to comfort her but remembered that he had forgotten to set the ship on autopilot and had to return to it before it made them crash on Ruusan.

It looked as though she didn't want to be comforted at any rate judging by her numerous tears. The only one who was not feeling any ill in this was Savage for he had done precisely what he had intended to do. He had intended to use the truth to drive a wedge between Maul and Kycina, forcing Maul back into the Dark Side. It was Savage's only hope of bringing his brother back into being the man he had been when Savage began taking his training, the same man whose resolve was hardened against anything else in the way.

**"The fleet is in position** to begin the jump and meet Count Dooku on Dathomir. If Maul is there then we know Dooku was sincere in what he said," Obi-Wan said. "And if he is not?" Windu asked him. "Then it's just another battle in the Clone Wars unless we can capture Dooku, something that will turn the tide in our favor for a change," Obi-Wan answered.

"May the Force be with you either way and have fun facing either foe. It may prove most interesting to see what the result of it all becomes," Windu said. Obi-Wan nodded with agreement and disconnected his transmission with that. Then he gave his Admiral the go to put the fleet through the jump into hyperspace with Dathomir set in their sights.


	47. SoD: Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

After arriving on Ruusan and suffering a sleepless night, Kycina decided enough was enough. It was time Savage knew the truth of who _he _was in exchange for telling her the truth of what Maul had once been but no longer was. This was the time where she told him about his father and about how he had been a kind and gentle creature unless provoked by an insult to Kycina herself. It was time for Savage to know how lowly he was in comparison to his father and to his brother.

She found him standing by a tree and she could tell he had just finished urinating next to it. That was when she stepped away from the boulder she slept on and called out to him. "Savage, you and I need to speak right now about how you've been acting towards me and your brother both on the way here and before," Kycina said. "Oh great, I'm in for a scolding like you could do anything to change who I am and who Maul is," Savage replied jokingly.

"Nothing is funny about what you did on the ship nor is any of the disrespect you show your brother (and me) very funny. Your brother trained you to become the warrior you are and this is how you repay his help?" Kycina asked. "No, this is how I fight against the weakening of the resolve he once had by your hand," Savage answered. "What resolve and how am I weakening it?" Kycina inquired.

"Do you not recall when I told you about Maul's will for revenge against the Jedi? Do you not recall how I told about how I found him raving mad with anger and hatred born out of the Dark Side?" Savage replied. "You disgrace everything your father was with your despicable actions, Savage Opress!" Kycina shouted. "Do you really think I care how my father is affected by this so long as he is dead and his memory is the only thing affected by me?" Savage asked quietly.

"I _know _you do because your father raised you and Feral for nearly three years after I was torn away from you by himself. Your father was one of if not the finest warrior in the village when he was alive but he also had the kindest heart besides Maul's father. You have inherited your father's combat prowess but none of his heart," Kycina told him. "Whatever heart my father had and passed on to me was stripped of me when I met Mother Talzin then served under Count Dooku, the rest died with Feral when I killed him with my own bare hand," Savage said, his face turning grim.

"That is no reason to be this heinous around me and your brother. I demand an apology for how you tried to use the truth against us and tried to make me turn toward you more," Kycina ordered. "Sometimes the truth hurts mother and you haven't exactly been fair to me as I recall," he said. "I am sorry for that Savage but Maul is special because I gave him away to save his life whilst you and Feral were torn screaming and crying from my arms shortly before I was banished," she replied.

"So you cared about what happened to him more than you did Feral and I?" he asked, frustrated. "I care for you all equally, I wondered if any of you were still alive! That was the reason I created the dolls: to reprieve myself of the madness that would eventually consume me simply because I feared for your lives and wondered if I would ever see you again!" she answered, nearly screaming every word. "Yet now that you have seen us again, you don't like what I've become," he stated.

"I don't like what Mother Talzin is trying to make you into. But I guess I was right in my earlier assumption that you are lost to me thanks to her influence over you," she told him grimly. Then she walked away, her heart broken at what her youngest living son had become and knowing that her suspicions of him being lost were now confirmed to her and to him. "By the way mother, you might want to ask your favorite son what he vowed would happen to our enemies once we had a powerful army at our command," Savage called out to her.

"I will do that and no doubt Maul will tell me the truth. There is no greater regret I have in my life than giving away Maul at the price of having you and Feral taken from me to live as Talzin's Nightbrother slaves whilst I was banished on Felucia," Kycina said. Then she walked off, wondering how much longer she was going to tolerate Savage and if losing him again would also mean losing Maul again also. "Savage… I am so sorry for what I've done to you now and then," she said before disappearing out of his sight.

While she walked away, Savage thought about what he had said to her and what she had said to him. Then via a green mist, Mother Talzin appeared behind him and asked when the army would be unleashed. "The cave is not more than a day's walk away from here. If all goes well, we'll have that army rolling forth to crush the Republic and the CIS by tomorrow night," Savage answered.

"Good, good, faster than I had originally anticipated. You have been the finest of all my servants Savage, do not let your mother's false love for you blind you to the ultimate goal in this universe: to rule it all," Talzin said to him. "Believe me Mother, I'm more concerned for my brother than I am for my mother," Savage told her. "Perhaps his usefulness is coming to its end," she said.

"I don't understand, he has been my mentor since you cured him of his madness back on Dathomir. Why would I betray him now?" he asked. "I only needed Maul to train you to become as powerful as you are. Besides, did he not tell you that in the Sith Code, the apprentice must eventually betray the Master in order to keep the Order strong and maintain its strength?" she replied.

Savage admitted Maul had told him that the way of the Sith did decree that to occur and asked her if Maul's time was near. "His resolve is weakening, something like betrayal within his own inner circle will definitely renew it for a new goal. Yes he still has no love for Kenobi or the Jedi but have you sensed the _vengeance _you felt when you first met him?" Talzin inquired. "No I don't and he blames it on growing a respect for the Jedi he never had before," Savage replied without hesitation.

"The Jedi are our enemies no matter what your brother may have to say about them. He may have grown to respect them and perhaps they have grown to respect him but have they ever come to respect _you_ or have they always feared you as a dangerous, unbalanced monster?" she asked. All of this made perfect sense to Savage, increasing his delight in the idea of betraying his brother and putting him in his place. It definitely would help him gain revenge in the most honorable sense of the word for what Kycina had helped him become.

"When am I to turn the tables on my brother and dispose of him in the name of our cause?" he asked. "Wait until I command you to, which will be most likely after I have you consummate your bond with Ventress and if he fails to kill Count Dooku," she answered. "And what is it about Dooku that you hate so much?" he inquired innocently. "Dooku was a Jedi when he chose to help me and it was because of him that I was forced to give Ventress up in order to save our clan.

"Though she has now found her way back to the Nightsisters, Dooku _did _delay my plans for her by many years. Perhaps it worked better out that way now that I have you and her included in the plans for my ultimate goal in the universe. But then, perhaps not, who knows how it will turn out but the Force?" she explained. "Then I will wait for you to give the word to turn my blade on him, I will gladly do it if it means keeping the Sith Order strong," he vowed to his mistress.

"Just remember Savage, you may be doing it to Maul now but if you survive and he dies you will have to find a new apprentice. In time, that apprentice will also turn the tables on you in order to preserve the strength of the Sith just as you are doing now," she warned. "It doesn't matter, so long as I emerge the strongest carrier of the Sith line and not him," he replied. Then she disappeared in the same green mist she had used to appear to him here on Ruusan, a place strong with the energy of fallen Sith Lords.

**"Maul, can you and I** speak privately?" Kycina asked. "Yes mother, what I can help you with?" he answered. "Savage says that before we met, you lived only for revenge against the Jedi. If that's true, why the sudden change in your attitude towards them?" she asked.

"Mother, when Ophelia died all I could think about was how the Jedi Code had forbidden her from acting on her love and how she was forced to follow it to the very letter until she could sacrifice her life to show me her love. When I had the chance to go after Kenobi and his Master Qui-Gon, I took it without hesitation though my revenge didn't start there; it started with an old warrior named Darius Othone. His death made it so that if I asked to join the Order, I might as well be signing my own death-wish due to his prestige amongst them.

"At first, I treated Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan the same way I had treated Darius: quarry that needed eliminating due to their pestilence in my master's plans. I even went so far as to be absolutely disappointed when Qui-Gon was eventually gutted by my hand near a shaft leading to a reactor pit. At first, when I dueled with his apprentice, I had mocked him by saying that I hoped he was a better match than his master due to being disappointed in the old man. But Kenobi proved the better of the two of us when he used my ego and his Jedi ways to slice me in half, my lower half being lost forever to the reactor," he began.

When Kycina said nothing, he continued. "For more than a decade, I was consumed by Dark Side-fueled rage and a maddening obsession with his death while living on Lotho Minor on little more than scrap food. When Savage brought me back to Dathomir and had my mind healed, my resolve was as strong for revenge as it had been when I was an insane freak of nature. But since then, I have come not to hate Obi-Wan but admire his skill and his ability to spare me even when I brought up his master's death at my hand.

"Obi-Wan was indeed a Jedi who was willing to make any sacrifice to complete a mission. But he would never resort to murder and if I am to honor his legacy, neither can I. Yes I still feel a desire for revenge but not for him so much as my former master. I learned that if I were to feel revenge, it shouldn't be for the man who took my legs from me.

"Instead, it should be for the man who had trained me to only feed on the fear and hate within myself and others to survive until the completion of a mission. Because in the end, he disposed of me when he thought me dead just as everyone else did," he concluded. "Maul, you have already come a long way from what you once were and being that I am your mother I will always be proud of you son," Kycina said. "Thank you mother," he told her before going off into meditation for two hours; she followed his example as did Savage.

** "Dooku, my fleet is in** position. What do we do now that we're here?" Obi-Wan asked. "Now we sit and wait for the arrival of this fleet assuming it exists at all," Dooku answered via a hologram on Kenobi's ship. "This is going to work very well indeed," Obi-Wan stated.

"Patience Jedi, if Maul comes he will bring no ordinary fleet: he will be arriving with the remnant of the Brotherhood of Darkness from a thousand years ago. To counter their Lord's ability in Battle Meditation, I have brought Master Sora Bulq," Dooku replied. "And who is their lord, might I ask?" Obi-Wan asked, curious to know about the Brotherhood's dark power. "His name is Skere Kaan, an ex-Jedi like myself who founded the Brotherhood as a means of uniting the wielders of the Dark Side under a single banner against the common enemy that was the Jedi," Dooku explained.

"And what is Battle Meditation?" Obi-Wan inquired. "A dark power meant not to be trifled with and wielded by few. You should be afraid of it's potential as I am," Dooku said.


	48. SoD: Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Kycina, Maul and Savage had arrived at the place where the concentration of Dark Side power was at its greatest. It was inside a cave that looked like it had not been accessed for a thousand years, never mind explored for just as long. "This is it, I can feel the dark power ebbing from it. Even after a thousand years, it is still so strong," Kycina said.

"I sense it too," Maul replied. Savage only nodded his confirmation that he also sensed it. "You two will need to stand far back, even I cannot reach it unless I use my staff to unlock the souls of the dead themselves," Kycina advised. Maul and Savage did as she said and when at Maul's signals, she began the incantations necessary to complete the ritual that would resurrect the vengeful Sith souls. A green orb that equaled the thought bomb orb in size was conjured from her staff and was allowed to float towards it before she positioned it to act as her means of communication between herself and the trapped souls.

"Skere Kaan, ancient leader of the notorious Brotherhood of Darkness, I summon you and the souls trapped there with you to exact your revenge upon the Jedi. Arise from your entombment and destroy the descendants of those who defeated you! Rise and reassert yourselves as the rightful rulers of the galaxy itself!" she commanded to the bright-white orb. Then the green orb fused itself to the white one and at first, it seemed as though they created a whirlpool of magic and Force power that would be destroyed if anything went wrong.

After that brief time that seemed to last eternity, the mixture began to take the shape of a door and open a black hole equally big. Souls began to walk through this door and it came as no surprise to anyone that Kaan was in the lead of them all. What did surprise them was that the soul of a woman followed him then the souls of several Sith Lords they could not identify from their knowledge of Sith history. Plus it seemed as the effects of their resurrection brought back two more Sith Lords that had originally been killed before the thought bomb was activated.

Their names were Qordis and Kopecz, both of them seeming angry almost right after being risen back from the dead. "Ouch my neck still hurts from when that cursed Bane broke it with his Force choke. That boy was more powerful than I imagined when I tried to persuade him to join Kaan again," Qordis said. "Shut up Qordis and come meet the trio that has somehow resurrected us in this dimension," Kopecz ordered.

"Yes, I would like to know who they are also," the woman said, her tone cool and calculating. "Allow me to introduce myself and my sons: I am the ex-Nightsister Kycina, this is my oldest son Maul and my youngest son Savage. We only wish you to help us in destroying two powerful enemies that seek our heads. One is called the Confederacy of Independent Systems (CIS for short) and the other is the Republic you once fought," Kycina explained.

"Our forces are large enough to fight both of them even if they unite unless they are bigger than Empire had once been. It was strong enough to rule over half the galaxy before the Jedi drove us here to Ruusan," Kaan said. "You united more than half that strength here before we were defeated, a good omen for these fugitives here," Kopecz said. "It is indeed a good sign for them and us to take our revenge against the Jedi scum and this CIS this trio speaks of," the woman agreed.

"By the way, could we get an introduction from you?" Savage asked. "Savage, how rude of you to speak to a woman like that!" Kycina hissed. "No, it is fine Kycina and I should have introduced myself after I came through the gate anyhow. I am Githany, former love life of Darth Bane himself," the woman told them.

"Now I remember you, you tried to kill him on Kaan's orders and failed when he found Caleb the healer. Then you tried to escape when the thought bomb was about to go off and failed at that as well," Maul said. "That is all in the past and do not bother telling us what year it is, we already have an idea since the thought bomb orb allowed us to sense the passing time as a means of knowing and embracing our pain," Githany explained. "Most impressive and do you know the history of your galaxy since that time when you were first imprisoned in the orb?" Savage inquired.

"Most of it but we do not know what happened to the Sith after we were defeated by the Jedi," Kaan answered. "You soon will," Maul warned them. "Enough talk then, time for some serious action!" Kopecz said. Maul, Savage, Kycina, Githany, and Kaan couldn't agree with him more on that matter.

**"Yes Maul, now you** have found the Brotherhood of Darkness and revived them. Their vengeance will fuel the tower with power it can use to create a gateway to KaiSu Lak'Ton. From there, we can bring in the _real _army that will crush the Republic, Dooku and his Separatists, and everyone else who dares to oppose us," Talzin declared. "Finally, I was getting bored waiting for them to find the army on Ruusan and hearing you promise that they were close," Ventress said, her tone very exasperated.

"Now for the act of lust that will bring the planet into this dimension. We will wait for Savage to return with the fleet to this part of the galaxy then I will bring him here," Talzin replied. "Oh what? I'm not getting laid with that creature if my life depended on it," Ventress promised Talzin.

"Your life may very well depend on you 'getting laid' with Savage. You may think you have the ability to ignore the mating call that all Nightsisters feel after selecting a partner. Do not pretend you haven't had those lustful tendencies that are even worse in Savage than in you," Talzin commanded. "I have no desire to help you in this part but I am compelled to agree by your powerful spell over my mind," Ventress admitted grimly.

"Good but since you insist that you cannot sleep with him, I will see to it that he fights for the right. It may charge him more than is healthy for his kind but that doesn't matter to me so long as it is done and KaiSu Lak'Ton is brought to its rightful place once more," Talzin promised. "Shit, I'm in for it now," Ventress said. Talzin slapped her and told her to watch her language in the presence of a Mother as well as the people in the city.

After that, she focused some of her magic then electrocuted Ventress with it in order to strengthen her possession over Ventress' mind as it attempted to resist her. When she was finished, Ventress was back in her fold once more and she could be sure Ventress would obey her when Savage returned. "You are not working _with _me in this matter Ventress, you are working _for _me," Talzin reminded her. "I understand, my Mother," Ventress replied and with that, Talzin was satisfied for now.

** "Forgive me for saying** so my lord but the Saleucami system demands my attention again. I feared this and that's why I decided to teach you Battle Meditation just in case," Sora told his Master. "Very well my apprentice, you have done me an honor in teaching me this rare art. I only hope to employ it effectively against Lord Kaan's ability to use it," Dooku replied.

Sora bowed then ordered a shuttle prepared for his return to Saleucami while Dooku and Grievous dealt with Kenobi and Maul on Dathomir. Though Dooku had to admit it was somewhat disrespectful that Sora would urge to leave for Saleucami, perhaps it was for the better. Three days had come and gone since Dooku had sent Kenobi his request to come to Dathomir and he had to admit that he was beginning to agree with the Jedi in wondering whether or not Maul had a fleet coming to fight them. It was at that moment when ships never seen before jumped out of hyperspace and started firing at random cruisers while their starfighters exited their hulls as CIS and Republic fighters alike raced to intercept them.

"Perhaps Maul has shown up with that army after all. If we survive, my spies will be handsomely rewarded for their tracking skills. It wouldn't have worked without their ability to patiently sniff out the trail of my enemies and tell me what they were doing," Dooku said shortly after the attacks on them had begun. Grievous was barking orders in the background and was beginning to employ the strategy they would have used against the Republic fleet if the rumors about Maul's had been confirmed as a false alarm.

"Grievous, as soon as you give the final orders I want you to take eight squads of commando droids and four MagnaGuards and head for their main cruiser. It appears to be that massive one that every other ship is converging to protect. I will engage Battle Meditation and hopefully get you up to that cruiser once you signal me that your shuttle has left the hangar on our ship," Dooku commanded. Grievous nodded and prepared four lightsabers to take with him and handpicked each of the droids he would take with him behind enemy lines.

_**Savage, on my signal it** will soon be time to betray your brother and undo everything you, your brother and your mother have created together. Soon as you complete this task, or at least have Maul and Kycina defeated, call to me through the Force and I will bring you to the ancient city on Dathomir where Ventress and I are presently located _Talzin whispered through the Force. _I will be waiting for your signal, Mother. I am tired of my brother's weakness around my mother and his strength around these other Sith Lords that surround us _Savage replied, his intent bright and clear for the future.

Maul talked with Kaan about something and it seemed like something important considering the grave look on Kaan's face shortly after they finished their little discussion. Savage could now very easily see Ventress being his reward for his defection to his ultimate loyalty: Talzin. It was easy to imagine that Talzin had broken her mind and made her a puppet of the Nightsisters again considering how Talzin had said that Ventress suddenly allied with them likely by no will of her own. He knew that bitch well enough to know that she would never again side with him unless there was absolutely no choice left besides him.

After pondering this little bit about Ventress, he inquired as to what Kaan had spoken to Maul about. "Kaan will once again engage in Battle Meditation to make our fleet even more powerful than it already is," Githany said. "If all goes well, we may only need to use it once as one of the so-called Sith Lords is on board the CIS Dreadnaught now," Savage replied. "I hope for all our sakes that you are right about that," Githany admitted.

** "All fighters take off from** the hangars when ready! We have a more massive fleet on our hands then even Dooku had anticipated and I don't want any sitting ducks!" Kenobi shouted at the top of his strong lungs. "Sir, isn't that dangerous? On most of our cruisers, sending out the starfighters would mean barely escaping a serious case of understaffed ships," Admiral Yularen asked his Jedi.

"I'm aware of that but that's a risk we have to take if we're to prevent Maul's fighters from reaching us while Count Dooku engages in Battle Meditation against Kaan," Obi-Wan answered. "Sir, I've heard of Battle Meditation before: if the legends of its power are to be believed, his forces may destroy us no matter how hard we try to stop it if Kaan is strong enough," Yularen warned. "Then let us hope he isn't that strong with it," Kenobi replied. Yularen nodded and continued to do his part in helping the Republic fight this battle alongside their Separatist enemies, a change not everyone was accustomed to.

Kenobi kept his lightsaber at his belt and made sure it was ready for any infiltration from his arch nemesis. If Yularen's fears were confirmed, he was going to need it sooner than he would like. He even grasped its light hilt tightly to affirm how much he desired not to use it now.


	49. SoD: Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

"General, is your team ready for their special mission?" Dooku asked Grievous. "Yes my lord, they simply wait for your command and they will accompany me behind enemy lines," Grievous answered. "Then send them now, I will engage Kaan in Battle Meditation and will do my best to help you but I make no promises as to the extent of the help," Dooku warned. "I only need enough to reach the ship and find Kaan before he destroys you and that is help enough to me, my lord," Grievous replied.

"Then board your shuttle and deploy when ready," Dooku ordered. "Yes master," Grievous answered. The General left and Dooku watched as his only true hope of defeating Maul marched off the bridge and to his possible doom outside the safety of their CIS Dreadnaught. After that, he sat down, crossed his legs, and remembered what Sora had taught him in engaging the Battle Meditation.

Concentrating his power within himself, he came to that point where he thought of the battle as a board game that whose tide he could change. After that, he took the pieces that belonged to both the CIS and the Republic and began placing them where he could make the strongest moves against Maul's exotic fleet. Then suddenly, the vision of the board became blurred and even distorted by the intruding presence of Lord Kaan into his mind. "_You will _never _achieve victory over my power you fake, perverted sham of the Sith!_" Kaan shouted through the Force.

"_I am far more real and far more powerful than you could possibly imagine or comprehend, you fool! Prepare to feel the _true_ power of the Dark Side,_" Dooku replied via the same means. "_How can you show me the true power if you don't even know it for yourself?_" Kaan asked. "_By destroying you while engaged in Battle Meditation with you,_" Dooku answered shortly before their battle of powers began.

** Maul watched as Kaan** was occasionally jerked by Dooku's first surges of power and wondered if Kaan had what it took to fight him. He knew from experience that if someone did not give up soon, it could keep the tide at a stalemate for the entire battle. Or else it could become not a struggle of greater use of Battle Meditation so much as a battle for the superiority of one over the other. Though he didn't want that to happen, he knew there was nothing he could do to change it if it did.

Next to him, Savage stood staring with the same intense evil look Maul was accustomed to seeing lately. "Lighten the mood a little bit Savage," Kycina told her youngest son. "I have no means by which to do that, mother," Savage replied. "Such a big and well grown man such as yourself can't even tell a joke?" Githany asked. Savage shook his head and admitted he wouldn't know how to tell one even if he wanted to.

"How tragic you cannot tell a joke but I guess it suits the fact that we're in the middle of a battle instead of in peace time," Githany stated. "Indeed we are but the question we must ask ourselves is this: are we indeed fighting an enemy we can call ours or are we instead fighting ourselves?" Kycina asked. "Do not heed the words of my mother, of course we are fighting an enemy we can call our own. Make that two enemies we can call our own!" Savage declared sincerely.

"That isn't what she means Savage," Maul said. "Then what does she mean, brother?" Savage asked. "She means that we must never stray away from our goals and must keep in mind that we are facing two powerful organizations that mean to kill us. Isn't that right, mother?" Maul answered.

"Partly but not quite spot on, my son. Perhaps you will learn at a later time, perhaps even when this battle's over," Kycina said. No one said a word after that, pondering at any hidden meanings Kycina might have left in her words if not barking orders to troops flying in space on the Brotherhood's ancient but powerful designs. But only two kept their reserve in the crowd while the others were rampant in doing something for the battle: Maul and Kycina, mother and son.

**The battle as the stalemate** it was becoming was overwhelming to Dooku. When he realized he could not make it so that the tide turned in favor of the alliance he had made with Obi-Wan, he decided to make it a battle of powers between himself and Kaan. It was the only way their battle could not affect his forces and the forces of the Jedi while still battling him. Bit by painful bit, he lured Kaan away from concentrating on the battle and solely on attempting to break him.

"_This battle is too great to be allowed to affect more than our two minds. Let us duel it out via the power of the Force and see who is the greatest,_" Dooku called through the Force. "_Very well, shall we begin?_" Kaan asked in reply. Dooku began by making the first surge of power that was aimed for the defenses set in Kaan's otherwise fragile mind.

Though he did not completely bust through, he did come almost halfway on that first try at the job. When he recovered, Kaan responded by sending a surge of his own that shook Dooku but did little to actually penetrate his mental defenses. Dooku realized Kaan was making this a game of who can hold on to their sanity the longest before their minds broke before the power of the Dark Side and smiled with his actual mouth. Then he returned the favor and threw an even greater surge that came even closer to reaching Kaan's mind.

Kaan fired another surge that was barely more powerful than the first one and didn't even penetrate halfway through the Count's mental defenses. Smiling, Dooku returned with yet another blast that was only a few millimeters short of penetrating Kaan's fragile mind. Then Dooku hatched up an idea on the fly: instead of seeing if he could break Kaan's sanity (something Darth Bane managed to do a thousand years before), he would see if he could _kill _him through these surges of Force power. But either out of sheer desperation or because he sensed Dooku was up to something sinister, Kaan sent another weak blast that merely threw him off but did little damage to his regenerating defenses.

Dooku knew Kaan's were also regenerating as was necessary when defending against any attempts by those powerful enough to invade their vulnerable little minds. After recovering from that blast, Dooku dove deep into the power of the Dark Side, concentrated it into a killing blast, then let it build until he felt absolutely sure it would get the job done. It doubled, tripled, even quadrupled its power before he was confident it would kill Kaan, something that pleased him immediately. Then he shot it into Kaan's mind and watched as it tore through his mental defenses and cut deep into his brain, rupturing it, causing hemorrhages, and other unimagined forms of damage in his enemy's head before collapsing on the ship's cold steel floor and falling into a healing trance.

** Savage watched, cross-armed** as Kaan battled Dooku through the Force and sensed Kaan was losing. "Something troubles you, son. What could it be?" Kycina asked. "Just sensing probably the same thing you do: Kaan is losing his battle of powers with Count Dooku," Savage answered.

"You're not alone brother, I sense it too," Maul agreed. Kycina admitted she sensed it and Githany reluctantly confessed that she too sensed Kaan's weakening against Dooku's power. Then the worst thing possible occurred: Kaan opened his eyes and screamed in pain shortly before his eyeballs popped, causing two of three gushes of blood to pour with the third and largest one being from his mouth. The impact of whatever force had caused that also knocked Kaan onto his back, making the blood turn back into his body and causing him to drown in his carnage.

"Holy shit! How is this possible?" Githany shouted, utterly shocked by her master's end. "Savage, you said you fought Dooku before?" Maul asked his younger brother. "Yes but I never saw power like this when I did," Savage told him.

"He may be more of an honorable match than I had thought he would be with the information you gave me about him. Most impressive, if I may say so," Maul stated. "What is your intention, my son?" Kycina asked. "To duel with and kill Dooku, forcing my Master to come from whatever lair he has buried himself in and face me," Maul answered.

"But you'll most certainly die if your master does as you wish!" she exclaimed. "The least I can do is be a thorn in his side before that happens to me," he assured her. While they debated whether Maul should or should not go to confront Sidious after killing Dooku, Savage kept quiet and waited for Talzin's signal. _Dooku's slave, General Grievous, will be boarding the ship soon but I do not want you involved in that fight _Talzin told the Nightbrother.

_I will gladly fade into the background when that fight begins_. _Or will it be time to betray Maul beforehand? _Savage asked his mistress. _As Kaan has been killed, it will be only a little longer then Grievous will infiltrate the ship and duel with Maul. If Maul survives and returns from the duel, then and only then can you betray and murder him _Talzin answered.

Smiling, Savage knew what to do now and simply waited patiently for this General Grievous character to arrive. As fate would have it, the wait was thankfully not very long for anyone of them. "Lord Maul, an unidentified shuttle has just landed in the main hangar bay. We're tracking the passengers deploying from the ship now," said Kopecz from one of the many sensor screens on the ship.

One of the passengers was a warrior Maul immediately recognized as a Kaleesh and guessed immediately as Dooku. "I will go to face him but I will need eight squads of Sith soldiers and four Dark Lords to come with me to face him. Who will volunteer to help me repel this threat from our ship?" Maul asked. "Qordis and I will both aid you in this matter," Kopecz answered.

"I will lend my services to you as well, Maul," Githany added. Smiling, Maul leaned his head towards the door and led his volunteers to where he would handpick the squads with their help. Savage stayed on the bridge and waited until they were gone before he issued some orders of his own. "Transfer all the ships controls and programs into my mechanical arm," he said.

"But with all due respect, isn't that illegal? Not to mention the fact your arm may lack the capacity to hold that much information?" one of the Sith soldiers asked him curiously. "Just do as I say, grunt!" Savage boomed. The Sith around him immediately obeyed and soon, he had total access to the ship's controls.

Smiling, he thanked the minions of the Brotherhood for obeying his orders. Then he activated his blade and slaughtered them all violently. He didn't even spare the women in the crew as he hacked and slashed down soldier after soldier all while the door was closed and ray shielded from the inside. _Well done Savage, it is almost time _Talzin told him.

He thanked her then remembered his mother was still alive and he saw that she had witnessed what he did. She raised her staff to put a spell on him but he used the Force to snag it off her. "Not so fast, you will not use any of your magic on me, this time," he told her. Chuckling, he threw the staff aside and made for the kill on his mother. But before he could, she managed to recover the staff and teleport closer to the door.

"What has she done to you to make you this way, Savage?" Kycina asked. "She liberated me from the bondage of being a Nightbrother responsible for a weakling like Feral," Savage replied. "At the price of your soul," she stated before walking out of the door and possibly out of his life. He ran to follow her so as to make sure she didn't compromise his plans but she had already teleported out of his sight.

** "Count Dooku, if it is** truly you it is an honor to finally face the so-called apprentice of my former master," Maul stated when he managed to stop the infiltration team sent by the CIS. "Oh no, I am not Dooku. Allow me the honor of introducing myself as his apprentice: General Grievous," the Kaleesh replied enthusiastically.

_I sense no Force power in him, this should be very easy _Maul thought to himself. "Killing you will bring Dooku to me, I know that for certain. If you are high on his list of favorite servants," he said aloud. "Higher than any other he has had before or after me," Grievous replied.

Then the General reached for his lightsabers but that wasn't what caught Maul off guard. What did was when his arms split from two to four and he activated four lightsabers simultaneously. _Okay, this may be more difficult than I anticipated but I shouldn't have trouble finding a way to overcome this _he thought, making sure not to give into his surprise. Igniting his own lightsaber, Maul engaged him directly while his companions fought the droids Grievous had brought along.

** In an attempt to conserve** her magic power, Kycina ran as fast as she could to reach her son in the hangar and tell him of his brother's treason. "Leaving so soon, Kycina?" a familiar voice asked. "Mother Talzin, what do you want?" Kycina replied after she turned to see the ominous figure of the head of the Nightsisters. "Simply for you to not intervene in the beginning fight between your sons, it is precisely what I have been planning for," Talzin said.

"If you intend to use them to bring back your homeworld, I will not allow it!" Kycina said before attacking her enemy. She shot a green orb of energy at Talzin, who merely scoffed and grabbed it when it came. Absorbing the impact, Talzin crushed the ball until it exploded and at first, flinched from the pain of doing so. "Your magic has improved since last we fought each other but it is still not powerful enough to stop me," she stated before using the Force to throw Kycina against a wall.

Her staff left her hand and she knew Talzin would give her no time to recover it before she finished her off. "No way I would expect my own daughter to treat me but it doesn't matter now," Talzin stated very randomly. "What are you talking about, Talzin?" Kycina inquired. "By blood, you are my daughter; besides the fact that they were easy to manipulate, why else would I take such an interest in your sons after I banished you?" Talzin replied.

"No it can't be true!" Kycina shouted in despair. "Oh but it is Kycina, much as I hate to confirm it to you. I remember the day I made my own Selection with a Nightbrother scum. Like you, I had been very young then and like you, I loved him deeply after I fought him and earned control over his pathetic life," Talzin began.

"Then what the hell happened to him if you loved him so much?" Kycina interjected. "Easy enough, the then-head of our clan ordered me to kill him though she was unknowingly talking to a daughter of the Goddess herself. Yes Kycina, I am a daughter of the Goddess who dwells on KaiSu Lak'Ton and have dwelled in this dimension before both Ashla and Bogan respectively became the Jedi and the Sith. I was here before either of Ashla and Bogan even existed but of course, that is irrelevant to our little story," Talzin explained.

"Then please go on before I puke," Kycina told her. Ignoring that derogatory comment to her demeanor, Talzin did precisely that. "In accordance with custom, I did kill him but not in a way you would think. Instead of simply taking his life, I took his soul and absorbed it into my being thus explaining this masculine voice you hear when I speak.

"But to you, that Nightbrother would likely have been just another Nightbrother sharing the fate of his comrades were it not for one small detail. That Nightbrother was _your _father and grandfather to your sons as I am their grandmother," Talzin said, concluding her tale with that. Kycina could barely hold back the tears heating up in her eyes at knowing that Talzin, her sworn enemy since she had been banished, was her biological mother. "Whether you found out the truth or not, did you really think you could take me on all by yourself?" Talzin asked after a moment of sinister silence.

"Actually yes, but in the off chance I was wrong…" Kycina answered before indicating to her glowing staff. The glowing light began to flash and Talzin didn't need much time to realize what it could mean for her. With her face frozen with sheer fear of what it could do, she teleported away from the fight almost immediately. When she was gone, Kycina giggled and gloated aloud about how everyone always fell for the bluff of her staff exploding itself.

** Talzin could not believe her** daughter would dare insult her so badly as to attempt to assassinate her. One would have thought she'd have taught Kycina to have more respect for her superior than that. Nonetheless, it didn't matter now that she was farther up the ship for her rendezvous with Savage and she had not died in the explosion Kycina attempted to create with her staff. Once Savage had betrayed Maul by trapping him on his own ship and setting it for self-destruct, her plans for the galaxy would continue unhindered by Kycina's rebellious disposition for the Nightsisters. But to have lived for millennia and come that close to death was something Talzin didn't want to forget soon nor would she allow herself to underestimate Kycina's cunning again. After making that vow, she walked inside the bridge and saw Savage already waiting for her inside it.


	50. SoD: Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

"Ah Savage, so good to see you again," Talzin said. "The same formality to you, mother. You have been missed in the days since our last meeting on the surface of Dathomir," Savage replied. "Oh Savage, it is time I told you the truth: I am not just the head of the Nightsisters to you nor are you a former Nightbrother to me," she told him.

"What do you mean?" he asked. "You are my grandson and I am your grandmother, Savage. Why else did I take a special interest in you and your family besides your connection to the Force?" she answered. "Now it seems to be making sense to me but I don't understand," he said.

"What is there to understand besides that I am your kin as much as your mother and your brother?" she asked him."If I am indeed your grandson and Kycina is your daughter, then where are the rest of our kin?" he asked in return. "Either they hindered my plans or did me some great disrespect thus they are blessedly dead. But then could we say that for Feral?" she answered.

Savage felt no pain in that comment unless it hadn't been Talzin's intent when she mentioned his younger and weaker brother. "Is the trap ready for Maul and Kycina to fall right into it?" she asked. "Yes, all the ship's functions have been transferred into my mechanical arm. I can cause the ship to self-destruct, ray-shield all the doors, and make totally sure that only teleportation can save them from a quick, fiery death," he answered.

"Good, will there be any way to tell when the outcome of the duel will be clear or not?" she insisted. Savage nodded and activated the ship's surveillance screens including the ones in the hangar and they were honored with entertainment: Grievous and Maul had met at last. Talzin smiled, knowing that unless Maul's skill was truly powerful, it would not be enough against the four lightsabers of General Grievous. Perhaps Dooku's minions would be a use rather than a hindrance to her schemes for once.

** Grievous' spinning lightsabers began** to hurt Maul but he realized something about the cyborg's style. It was flashier than it was actual combat and if Maul could somehow eliminate the flashy element, he could defeat Grievous. Then he noticed that Grievous was about to strike from the left with his lower arm and positioned himself for defense. But instead of defense, he simply dodged the blade, severed the hand and took the lightsaber as his own.

After that, he used the Force to call the lightsaber to his free hand and activated its blue blade. Using Jar'Kai he began to see how the General faltered under his new might. "Ah your style weakens as I draw upon the power of Jar'Kai. Tell me, does Dooku really underestimate its abilities as a deadly style?" Maul mocked, knowing it would goad the General to make a mistake.

And the mistake itself didn't even take more than half a minute in the coming as he swung around with both his right arms then tried again with his left. Maul kept on the offensive after deflecting both right arms as well as the left one. Using the Force, Maul knocked Grievous to the ground and quickly disarmed him of his three remaining lightsabers. "It's over General, best prepare for your death," Maul warned.

Grievous kicked him in the gut just before Maul could strike and ran for his ship. He even went as far as to leave the droids he came with behind. On his way out, he blasted the ray shields off and activated the emergency hatch door and escaping just before it could smash his ship in closing and preventing the vortex of space from killing those in the hangar bay. "In the end, only cowards truly follow the ways of the Sith," Maul stated.

** Kycina could not find** her son anywhere no matter how hard she looked. She needed to find Maul before Talzin and Savage could do anything to him while he was vulnerable. "Mother where are you?" Maul asked through the comlink he gave her shortly before the battle had started. "Maul, I'm in hallway 456-394 looking for you," Kycina answered.

"Then you need to come to the other side of the ship, I'm just barely exiting the hangar right now," Maul said. "Good, thank you so much for telling me where you are! Now stay where you are until I arrive to rendezvous with you," Kycina demanded. "What's wrong Mom?" Maul asked.

"Talzin's aboard this ship and she's turned your brother against us. There may be an ambush waiting for you on the bridge," she answered. At first, she heard nothing from his end and she began to worry that he had already stumbled right into Talzin's trap. Then he replied, "Meet us in hallway 458 and we will all go in to face them together."

Hallway 458 wasn't far away and Kycina knew she could run there to meet up with her son. She would be her only hope if Talzin was planning to collaborate with Savage in trapping and killing him before heading back below to Dathomir. Running as fast as she could without her robes tripping her, Kycina made for the hallway as though to not do so would be to invite death. As it probably would be doing considering the situation likely to be ahead of them all.

**"We know where they're** headed, let's trap them there and teleport back to Dathomir now!" Savage demanded. "No, let them come onto the bridge then trap them like rats," Talzin said to her impatient grandson. He nodded but admitted he hated waiting for things to come to him rather than obtaining them himself. "If you are not careful, it could one day be your undoing, my grandson," she warned.

"I… understand, grandmother," he replied. "Do you really?" she asked. He shrugged and she laughed, loving the simplicity she had given Savage in place of the rebellious nature he had protecting his pathetic younger brother Feral. How she loathed remembering even the name of that weakling, how she loved remembering Savage had killed him, removing one more weakling from the Nightbrothers clan.

"That Githany girl will have to be the first to fall, after that you can do what you wish with this ship," Talzin said. Savage nodded, understanding what a hindrance her lightwhip could be to them. He didn't know what her skills could be but he didn't want to find out from the wrong end of her weapon. So he decided to stand by the side of the ship and wait until he was behind them before then striking.

** "Maul, so good to see** you alive again. You have no idea how much it pains me to know that your brother has betrayed us all," Kycina said. "We will bring him to justice for his crime together and maybe even Talzin if we are lucky," Maul replied. "Who is this Talzin character if you don't mind me asking?" Githany asked out of confusion.

"She is the head of my clan of the Nightsisters on Dathomir, she is the head witch called a Mother by her inferior sisters. But that is not all she is Maul and I," Kycina explained. Maul looked at her with about as much confusion as Githany had had when she asked about Talzin. It was then that Kycina confessed the truth of what Talzin had told her in their short duel a few minutes before.

"She has been interested in us because she is related to us by blood?" Maul asked. "Yes, she is my mother and you and Savage are her grandsons," Kycina answered. As if to ponder her words, Maul let his head drop to the floor and shook it for several seconds. "How is this possible?" he asked.

"I don't know son but nothing can change our relation to her if it is true. She has never been one to lie without a reason and I don't think she would have a reason to lie with that sort of thing," she answered. "Then let's see if we can catch that bitch and give her what for right now," Githany demanded. Laughing, Maul agreed with her on that one and even handed her the lightsaber he had taken off General Grievous to her as replacement for her lightwhip after it had been destroyed in battle.

"I hate the feel of a Jedi weapon but I think I will accept it just this once. Besides, it may be the last time I'm alive before I go back to Oblivion again," Githany said. Maul smiled at her dry sense of humor, knowing he was going to miss it if she did indeed die in battle against Savage. But would he give her a glorious death when they fought him in the hangar or would he killed her from behind?

These were questions Maul knew he would have to answer when he came to the hangar to confront his brother. Hallway 458 was not a long one and soon, Maul could see the door leading to the hangar and could see it was opened. Besides that, he could also see the ominous figure of Mother Talzin with her back facing them as if to enjoy what little view of the battle there was left. He advised caution to Githany and his mother as they approached the hangar for fear that Talzin knew they were coming and with Savage's capabilities with technology, it seemed likely.

When they were close, they could hear the faint sound of her maniacal giggle. "Traitor or no traitor, I have always admired your resilience and your ability to return swiftly for another round of ass kicking. You make an old woman proud of her daughter, Kycina," Talzin said. "I'm kind of disappointed I did that, mother," Kycina replied.

"Time and time again, I have beaten and humbled you. What makes you think this round will be any different?" Talzin asked. "Because neither I nor my son will stop until you're just a squashed bug under our heel, mother. Let's start our final fight now or are you too cowardly to accept my challenge?" Kycina answered immediately.

"Then I think it's time we put an end to this forever. Wouldn't you agree Savage?" Talzin inquired. At that remark, Savage marched from where he had stood behind them and rammed one side of his lightsaber through Githany's back. Then he yanked it out and she fell to the metal floor, instantly dead from Savage's cowardly blow. "After all I taught you, you dishonor Githany by not even giving her one last fight!" Maul shouted.

"I _only _want your head and no one else's unless they get in the way of what is rightfully mine," Savage replied. "And what is it that you claim is 'rightfully yours'?" Maul asked. "The title of Sith Master as you have grown too weak to be allowed to carry it any longer than you have," Savage answered. Then he lunged at his brother and began battering him with weighted Djem So strokes as Maul had trained him to use.

But then Talzin called to him and told him there would be another time if they survived the trap they had planned for them. Then Savage kicked Maul aside and used his mechanical arm to first close all doors then activate the ray shields that would protect them from lightsabers. He concluded their mad scheme by setting the ship to self-destruct in two minutes. "Now try to escape from this with the controls overridden if you think you can," Talzin mocked before she teleported herself and Savage away from the now-doomed ship.

"Come back here mother, come back here you cowardly bitch!" Kycina shouted. Maul had to hold her until she came to her senses then asked if she could also conduct teleportation. She nodded and did precisely that in less than half the time the ship had remaining before it's destruction. And before Maul could even blink, let alone react to it, he and his mother were on the surface of Dathomir and away from what had once been their center of command with the Sith Lords of the Brotherhood of Darkness itself.


	51. SoD: Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

"The Brotherhood is dispersing and our troops are circling to round them up and take them in for Republic interrogation," Obi-Wan said. "No kill them, kill them all!" Dooku demanded. "I am a Jedi Knight, you know this doesn't go along with my Code," Obi-Wan replied. "Does it look like I care about your Code at the moment?" Dooku asked.

Obi-Wan shrugged then said, "You look ugly no matter what expression you have. Too much so to tell one apart from another." "Do not play games with me Kenobi, hand them over to me and I will execute them all," Dooku ordered. "Not a chance of that happening soon, Dooku," Obi-Wan snapped.

"Then it's war on you as well Kenobi, we must never allow them to live to threaten the galaxy again!" Dooku declared. "No Dooku, this is what Maul would want: for us to divide and fight each other instead of him! We must remain focused on him and only him," Kenobi said. "No, it's not what Maul wants: it's what Mother Talzin wants," Dooku said.

"I thought your Separatist forces killed her in your previous attack on Dathomir," Kenobi stated. "You Jedi and your pathetic intelligence networks, she is far too old to simply let herself die in one battle. She escaped Grievous before he could kill her and has been my enemy since," Dooku replied. "Well then, looks like our prisoners will have to be surrendered after all though I hate saying it," Kenobi said, clearly exasperated.

"Do not feel sorry for them Jedi, they are Sith and they are your enemies. At the moment they are also mine thus I will let you leave quietly if you wish," Dooku said. "My troops will leave but I cannot, Maul wished to meet me on Dathomir for a final duel to decide who was superior forever," Obi-Wan told him. "Then stay but do not enter the ancient city on Dathomir, its dark power will destroy you before you could reach the temple in the town square," Dooku demanded.

"I don't even know what you're talking about there, Dooku," Obi-Wan exclaimed. "In Dathomir's 'untold days' there was once a city whose name means 'Gateway to Eternal Life' in Dathomiri speech. For both Nightsister and Nightbrother, it deserved that name and for millennia, its temple was ascended by those chosen to do so for their departure to KaiSu Lak'Ton or 'World of the Goddess'. KaiSu Lak'Ton was banished to another dimension due to the evil of the Goddess that dwelled there and the 'Gateway' was buried underground until a few days ago," Dooku explained.

"Talzin brought it back up? To what end?" Obi-Wan asked. "Whatever end she means it to go, Maul and his brother Savage Opress are pawns in her game," Dooku answered. "Yes I see, well when you're done executing prisoners come meet me on the surface of Dathomir," Kenobi offered; it was an offer Dooku took him up on.

**"At last, you have come** home to us Savage. Now come and claim your prize but be careful, she has a lot of fight left in her," Talzin warned. Before Savage could say anything, Ventress ignited her lightsabers and prepared to do battle with him. "But I don't understand, if I am to bang Ventress what will happen to us both?" he asked.

"You will no longer feel those fits of lust that I know have welled up in you before with whores in other parts of the galaxy. She on the other hand, will unknowingly bear your child into this world and (hopefully) bring in a daughter to train as a Nightsister," she answered. Then she ordered him to stop talking and snapped her fingers to which Ventress responded by lunging for Savage immediately. Savage did as obeyed almost immediately and activated both sides of his double-sided lightsaber in defense initially then attack when he managed to smash through her offensive stances.

Following that, he immediately employed his skill in Djem So and soon, she was cornered against a house. It was then that he swung so hard that her lightsabers went flying out of her hands and he could safely deactivate his own. She tried to punch him but he took the swung arm and twisted it until it snapped and broke like a twig. Then he spun her around so her back faced him then threw her against the wall of the house hard enough for her to literally bounce back into his grasp. Grabbing the back of her head with his mechanical arm, he head on firmly as he rammed her face against the side of the wall with enough impact to break off a huge chunk of the wall before throwing her against the wall of another house.

He watched as she dropped like a rag doll against the red sand of their planet. At first, she made no effort to get up and considering the trauma she had endured Savage couldn't say he blamed her. Then she tried to get up and call to one of her lightsabers but her efforts at both were weak. She collapsed in her attempt to get up on one good arm and couldn't use the broken one to call out to her weapon. But Savage decided he didn't want to let her have another chance and grabbed the back of her head and slammed her face against the floor with his mechanical arm.

Lifting her up with just that same arm, he watched as she struggled faintly to escape him to no avail. Seeing her weakness, he decided she had been conquered and took her into the deserted house behind him. It was then that he proceeded to rape her while she lied helpless and felt it all happen to her. Though she wasn't watching, Talzin was pleased and soon noticed that the usually red skies began to blacken with the coming of KaiSu Lak'Ton back into its place by the side of sister Dathomir.

She also remembered how the atmosphere of KaiSu Lak'Ton was green instead of black and she knew she still had to activate the gateway at the top of the tower before the planet could fully awaken. Luckily, she could see the blue continents against the black skies and she knew that the goddess would awaken and bring back the green skies when the tower was fully activated and she could march up it to the "Sacrament Chamber" at the top. "KaiSu Lak'Ton, you are saved… at last," Talzin thought aloud. She bowed her head in prayer and began to chant in her native tongue to the Goddess that birthed her near the beginning of all life in the galaxy.

** Maul saw the walls** of the raised city and was awed by their massive and ancient design. "To think that the Nightsisters could have built this with just their magic is impressive. I wonder if I can even believe that," he said. "The Nightsisters and the Nightbrothers didn't exist when this city was invented, there was only an ancient and more menacing people with whom your grandmother shows nativity thus making you and I related to them and their Goddess," Kycina replied.

"If what she said about the Goddess existing proves to be true and so far, I've found nothing that would contradict that. What are those blue shapes in the sky?" he asked. "KaiSu Lak'Ton… no it can't be!" she answered, almost as uncertain as he was. "What, why can't it be?" he inquired.

"Only an act of lust could bring KaiSu Lak'Ton back into this dimension and only the power in the ancient 'Sacrament Chamber' can awaken the Goddess. If Talzin successfully reaches the tower, she could potentially revive her mother and begin the end of the galaxy," she explained. "An act of lust? Well Savage did mention that the witch Asajj Ventress was his mate through Selection," he stated.

"Talzin must have bent her mind to her control and had him rape her. It's the only way KaiSu Lak'Ton could have been brought back," she replied, distressed and a little frightened. "Then what are we doing talking Dathomiri history, let's get going on stopping her from reaching the top of that damn tower," he demanded. Kycina nodded in agreement and readied her staff for what could possibly be her final journey on Dathomir or anywhere else in the galaxy.

But as she reflected back on her life, she began to wonder if there was a reason besides Maul that Talzin had only banished her and not killed her when she gave her son away to the Sith. Did Talzin have some motherly love for Kycina and sympathize with her daughter although she had to punish her for her treachery? No, not likely but it did lead to another question: had Talzin been _counting _on Kycina learning the Sith magic in addition to her knowledge of Nightsister sorcery to help her meet her secret ends?

**"The tower has almost completely** come to life. Once the top level has been activated, we can journey to the top of the tower. However, I must warn you that the journey up is perilous and all your skill is required in order to survive the perils hidden within these stone walls," Talzin said. "So long as I am helping my grandmother, I am prepared to lay down my life if necessary as will my mate and slave: Asajj Ventress," Savage replied.

"Are we ready to go now Mother? I grow weary of waiting," Ventress asked. Talzin nodded and she asked both Savage and Ventress to walk in front of her as they ascended the pyramid underneath the massive tower. "During these first steps, I will need to conserve my magic but once we are inside I can use it in abundance," Talzin explained.

Savage and Ventress ignited their lightsabers and prepared to defend Mother Talzin as they ascended the steps of the pyramid. "What happens when we get to the top?" Ventress asked. "I will call upon the powers trapped in this tower and create a passage that travels through space and into KaiSu Lak'Ton," Talzin answered. "Looks like we will finally get to see your home after all," Savage said.

"But shouldn't we wait until the tower is fully activated to get the move on or does it make no difference when we go now?" Ventress asked Talzin. "It would make no difference after it came to the halfway mark but there are still defenses to face on the pyramid," Talzin answered. "I think I see some of them now," Savage said, pointing out troops situated on the steps of the pyramid. Those same troops he pointed out began to charge down the pyramid the moment Ventress and Savage took their first step on one of the stairs, firing little darts of purple energy like the Nightsisters and pointing spears, swords, and other blades at them.

Savage acted as the vanguard of the two of them while Ventress picked up any he missed and together, the two of them cut down any warrior that stood in their way. It was only when barely a fourth of the two thousand troops (and they were close to the pyramid anyhow) remained that they were allowed access to the pyramid unchallenged. "These warriors are pathetic, it's almost like they set us up for whatever is inside that old pyramid," Ventress said. "Oh they have Ventress, they have," Talzin warned.

**Once Kenobi was secured** in his place outside the city, Dooku ventured in. This was personal now that Talzin had nearly killed him thrice, the first two attempts being through Ventress and the third through the use of her ancient magic. He knew he was going to kill Talzin whether Kenobi liked it or not and maybe he would be lucky to kill Ventress too. Putting his lightsaber to his waist, he walked through the gates without fear or hesitation despite the harsh greeting the natives had given him at the gate.

But when he made it clear he was not to be trifled with, those within the walls left him alone and he walked toward the tower with the pyramid beneath it in peace. "Talzin, I'm coming for you, Ventress and that monster you created called Savage Opress. I will have my revenge against you three in person," he thought aloud and with anger in his voice as well as his heart. Clenching his fists hard, he continued his march to the tower with no personal escort but a pride that said that wasn't necessary for him to be a powerful Lord of the Sith. "Now, are those red flashes Savage and Ventress?" he asked himself. Then he told himself there was only one way to find out if that was so.


	52. SoD: Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

With his link to Savage, Maul could sense where he was and knew exactly where to go in order to find him. "They're headed for the tower and are presently ascending the pyramid," he told Kycina. "I think I can get us there in a faster way but you'll have to hold on to something tightly. Very tightly because this thing is very fast," Kycina replied. Before Maul could ask her what she was talking about, she whistled towards the jungle in a tune Maul had never heard before.

It was then that a massive creature with one elongated horn on its nose came rushing out of the jungle, faster than any creature Maul had ever encountered before. "What is that thing?" Maul asked. "A childhood friend of mine, he won't harm you. He's more bark than bite around me and those who have my blood in them," Kycina said.

"What do I call it?" Maul inquired. "His name is Sparta like the ancient warriors of pre-Nightsister Dathomir," Kycina replied. "Hello Sparta, I'm Kycina's son Maul. Pleasure to meet you, I guess," Maul said, feeling a little awkward about meeting a childhood pet of his mother.

"See that city, my old friend? You're taking us to the pyramid at the center of its square," Kycina said to it. It barked a reply and submitted for Kycina and Maul to board its back. "Come, so long as I am on he can take you also," she said, extending a hand to her son. Maul took her hand, held on to her back, and prepared as the creature that was a plain blue reptile beside its size and single horn began running.

He had no idea that it could run so fast and yet it ran fast enough to nearly make his stomach roll over with speed sickness. In mere seconds, the beast reached the city and in another two seconds, it reached the pyramid. He recovered just in time to see Talzin, Savage, and Ventress about to enter the base of the tower at the top of the pyramid. "Talzin, do not enter that pyramid!" Kycina shouted.

At first, there was mere silence but Maul could pick up on Talzin laughing at them before making her reply. "You cannot stop what I must do to save our race," she told them. "Save our race from what?" Kycina shouted back. "From themselves and from our enemies outside Dathomir," Talzin replied before walking into the pyramid with Savage and Ventress following.

Maul and Kycina ran up the pyramid but the remnants of the pyramid's defenses started to attack them. It was then that Kycina snapped her fingers and the beast behind them started to attack them. As it sacrificed itself to divert the attention of the remnant, Maul and Kycina ascended the pyramid. The latter of them was reluctant to leave her friend behind but Maul reminded her that it was doing its part and they needed to do theirs.

"Besides, he's got that big horn of his. I'm pretty sure he can handle most of them himself or even all of them before he draws his last breath," he added. Then together, very slowly, they entered the tower and prepared for whatever hells lied before them. They had no idea what was waiting for them when they entered the door to the domain of the Goddess.

** At first, Ventress and Savage** were confused by the hieroglyphs and paintings along the walls of the tower. But a close look told them that these hieroglyphs were moving and the people within them were screaming in pain. "What's happening here?" Ventress asked. "Before the Goddess was created Dathomir and KaiSu Lak'Ton were worlds where the damned were banished and cursed to live out their punishments for all eternity," Talzin answered.

"And the Goddess made both worlds what they are now?" Savage asked. "Yes and if you look closely, you can see her slithering in her snake form to consume the evil of the hell and absorb it into her being," Talzin replied. Sure enough, Savage did see a gigantic snake wrapping its coil around the once-united world that would split into KaiSu Lak'Ton and Dathomir before consuming all of the evil energy through its fanged mouth. "Did absorbing the evil energy of the cosmos make her what she is now?" Ventress inquired.

Talzin nodded and said it was a small price to pay for the safety of two entire worlds. "But looking at these hieroglyphs reminds me of something I need to do before we continue. At the very least, it will slow our enemies down," she stated. She placed a finger along the painted walls, recited a few words in the ancient tongue, and watched as a green spot of her magic briefly stained the pictures but was gone almost as quickly as it had formed.

"Shall we continue on our way then?" she asked. Ventress and Savage both nodded, a reaction that pleased Talzin. "Good, now let us head for our destiny given by the Goddess long ago," she said. The stairway following the foul paintings was a long one but nothing would oppose them along the way.

**Maul and Kycina were** initially puzzled by the hieroglyphs at base of the tower but Kycina knew the history written in these and could immediately tell her son about the old ways. "Talzin means to bring back the days of her mother, the Snake Goddess Hecate who once ruled over both these planets with coils stronger than durasteel. If she succeeds, it could mean the end of your galaxy seeing that she has an army more immense than even any army the Republic and the CIS could accumulate in all their years of existence," she explained with fear mounting in her voice. "But if the Goddess was so powerful, how come she couldn't escape KaiSu Lak'Ton and continue her reign of terror in person instead of sending Talzin to do her dirty work?" Maul asked.

"Because once confined to a planet, a god only has the power to send their children in their stead unless they too are banished to the planet. And do not heed what Talzin says about being named after her mother, she likes to use that for bragging rights seeing as she was the oldest of Hecate's daughter and the only one sent," Kycina answered. Maul understood knowing how his former master had been similar in his desire for bragging rights in a manner of speaking. How it disgusted him to remember such times as the days when he served the tyrannical and oppressive Darth Sidious himself.

But soon his thoughts were taken off those horrid times in his life when the figures on the hieroglyph walked towards the wall and literally climbed out of them via a green wall that animated them when they stepped through. All of them were so thin that their entire skeleton could be seen, even their pelvic bones, and all of them had skin paler grey than campfire smoke. Some had scars along their bodies and others had dislocated or broken limbs while others still could barely crawl, let alone walk due to how bent their backs had become. Maul activated his lightsaber to fight them as they came to attack him but Kycina stopped him before he could harm them further than they already had been in damnation.

"Not all things can be solved by muscle and lightsaber alone," she said before demonstrating what she meant. Her staff glowed an orange light and Maul realized that according to ancient scrolls, orange was the light for healing in the days of these souls. Thus, he deactivated his lightsaber and watched what she had to say to them if anything. "I free you from whatever torments you experienced in your cruel afterlife, go and be at peace forevermore," she told them in the kind healing voice of a true mother.

At first, it seemed as though the souls would burn up from those words but all the grey skin melted away as did the damage done to their bodies. In the place of that rose white, transparent figures that thanked Kycina for what she had done before floating toward the vault of Dathomir's skies. After those souls left, Kycina went to the wall and saw what Talzin had done: she had used the walls to penetrate across space and time in order for the souls of the dead to come and haunt her and her son on their way to stop her and her possessed companions. Kycina tapped the orange glowing part of her staff against the wall and the green barrier shattered like glass, closing the portal through time and space once again.

"This way no more of the damned souls of that ancient day can again hinder us," she explained to Maul, who asked what she was doing. "Just out of curiosity, will I ever have to use my lightsabers while we ascend this tower?" Maul added with a smile Kycina knew was meant to tease. "So long as I know which spells work on which demons in this tower and you stay with me, not at all," she answered, pinching his cheek as she spoke. He smiled back and followed behind his mother as they ascended the tower, proud and bold in each other's presence.

**When Dooku came upon** the pyramid, he couldn't believe the mess he was seeing. Dead warriors lied everywhere and there was an ugly looking beast in the middle that looked like it had picked a fight with the warriors. Its body was mostly plain except for a great big horn stick out of the top of its wide nose. Walking past it, he saw the door at the top of the pyramid that led into the bottom of the tower and knowing there was no other way besides back he entered the tower.

Talzin and Ventress were not the only ones he wished to exact revenge against. Savage and Maul were also on his hit list due to their temporary alliance with Deathwatch and an attempt all three had made on his life at Serenno. While Savage had dueled with Grievous Maul and Governor Vizla united their skills to face Dooku in combat. Vizla was decapitated but Maul survived the fight, nearly succeeding in defeating Dooku before Kenobi and Skywalker intervened.

The battle had brought about the capture of Serenno by Republic hands and even with Grievous helping, Dooku had barely escaped the clone hordes with his life. Now, he lived in Raxus, home of the Separatist Parliament and Capital of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Serenno, though less so than Raxus, was one of the most fortified systems in the CIS and Dooku knew that it was only a matter of time before the Republic liberated all the systems around Serenno and cornered the Separatists at their capital. Still, the idea of taking out his revenge on Talzin, Maul, Savage, and Ventress before the Republic destroyed his organization would make Dooku feel satisfied with life and content to let his existence end at the hands of the Jedi.

"I'm coming for you Talzin, you and your three pawns. And I won't stop until I have killed you all, slowly, painfully, and with great pleasure on my part," he thought aloud. With lightsaber in hand, he marched into the pyramid to follow the quad of enemies he sought to destroy forever. If only he had gone in there with an idea of the perils that the magic of the ancient peoples had to throw at them all.

** "Masters, I report with** success in the mission to destroy the fleet rumored to have been under Maul's authority," Kenobi said to Mace and Yoda. "This is a great day for the Republic, you should be proud of yourself," Windu said. "Yes I am but the Sith aren't the only thing we have to worry about," Obi-Wan replied. When Yoda and Windu said nothing, Obi-Wan explained grimly.

He told them about how Maul had been betrayed by Savage on orders from Mother Talzin. Additionally, he told them of the ancient city raised out of the ground and even showed the gates at which he stood. Finally, he told of how Dooku had gone in after the four natives of Dathomir but hoped Maul was victorious against Talzin and Savage. "If he fails then Dooku's success within the tower won't matter unless he can stop Talzin from unlocking whatever is on this KaiSu Lak'Ton place," he concluded. "May the Force be with Maul and Dooku as much as it is very hard to find them as the only hope for Dathomir and possibly the whole galaxy," Windu declared to Yoda's surprising approval of it.


	53. SoD: Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

"Soon we will be reaching the one place in this tower where we can ascend the tower unopposed. It is a massive shaft that takes us up about halfway and ends when we have come to the worst of this tower's evils. But compared to KaiSu Lak'Ton, this will be nothing. Once I activate the bridge connecting the two planets, this tower will truly come to life as will the power within this city as KaiSu Lak'Ton fills it with dark energy," Talzin said.

"Finally, some peace after all those demons we confronted getting up to this point and I thought the fun was getting started," Ventress stated. "You're not far from the truth my slave: the party has not even begun," Savage replied. "Better trust him on this one, dear Ventress. He may not know this place as well as I do but he knows enough not to underestimate its significance to us," Talzin agreed.

She typed in a code next to the door and watched as it opened for them to use it for their purposes. "And once we arrive at the tower's top, what will Ventress and I do?" Savage asked. "You two will keep guard and fight Maul, Kycina, and whatever else may be following us if necessary. I must have unbroken concentration to complete the incantation that will channel the energy of the Sith souls into fully reviving the city's power. It will also create a magical bridge that will cut through the atmosphere of our planet until it touches that of KaiSu Lak'Ton and create a portal by which once can travel to and from it as they ascend the bridge," Talzin answered.

"Can you travel inside the bridge through space without feeling the effects of the vacuum?" Savage inquired. "The bridge was never used to transport anything besides ships and soldiers on KaiSu's end but considering how well those survived, I don't see why not," Talzin replied. "Space travel should be interesting with that kind of bridge surrounding us to protect against the space vacuum," Ventress stated. "Though considerably primitive now, it was a very effective means of transportation seeing as our ships would never get through the atmosphere without combusting and imploding," Talzin agreed.

"Magic is magic, it doesn't change with the times its wielders live in. Thus, the technology created by it is never primitive seeing as it can always function even when modern science does not," Ventress snapped. "That is somewhat true but why do you think mortals created their technology?" Talzin asked her. "Jealousy of what wielders of magic could create compelled them to attempt rivaling them and truly, their attempts were rather phenomenal for having no power of their own," Savage answered, remembering the histories the Nightbrothers were taught in what little education they actually received.

"Very good Savage, envy can be a powerful ally or a painful enemy at its very own whim. Just like any other emotion such as love, hate, anger, greed, and most definitely lust," Talzin complimented. "But in this case, lust is our ally seeing as it aided KaiSu Lak'Ton in finding its way back home where it belongs," Savage reminded. Talzin nodded and watched as they ascended the shaft at a decent rate though it began to make her impatient to reach the top.

She just had to get there before Kycina and Maul caught up with her then their attempts to end her life wouldn't matter anymore. After that, she would be restored to the immortal and invincible deity she once had been before her mother sent her into this galaxy to restore KaiSu Lak'Ton and its people to the glory they lost. And if the Goddess felt truly rewarding, perhaps she would let Talzin rule over the galaxy as its queen while the rest of the universe was strictly for the Goddess herself and no other. Smiling at the foreseeable completion of her desires, Talzin silently thanked Savage and Ventress for being the best pawns she ever had.

** Kycina and Maul reached** an elevator shaft after dealing with several demons Talzin sent to confront them from damned souls to monstrous flesh-eating giants that had no sentience whatsoever. Most were soothed to peace by her voice and her healing magic but Maul did have to use his lightsaber to put a few out of their misery. "I really wish they'd let us heal them, it's all I mean to do after all," Kycina stated after he brought down three bloodthirsty giants. "Some evil beings in this galaxy can never be purified by the goodness of a mother's heart; I ought to know, you gave me to one of them," Maul replied.

"You know, I can never forgive myself for doing that for as long as I am alive," Kycina said. Maul hugged her and reminded her not to blame herself about what happened to him after she gave him away. Then he typed in a code to activate the elevator and stepped through the door when it opened. "Hopefully Talzin is not too far ahead of us, I'd hate to fight any more creatures she can conjure from mere wall paintings and pictures of ancient times," Maul said.

"And I think I'm running out of patience to sooth the bulk of them and put them to rest forever," Kycina agreed. "Hopefully it won't be too much longer before we encounter her and beat their asses to the hell they want to bring back here. Especially that treacherous brother of mine and our grandmother Talzin," Maul vowed. "Let's hope we're not too late before we reach them, my son," Kycina said after pausing in silence for a long moment.

They boarded the elevator and ascended the shaft that took them halfway up the tower without threat or peril from the dangers lurking within. "So who was this Darth Vitiate character that destroyed the woman you loved?" Kycina asked Maul. "A very powerful Sith Lord whose lifespan has lasted nearly five thousand years and had cunning to match," Maul answered. "Did you manage to actually kill him seeing as no one in that five millennia did?" she asked to which he nodded in reply.

** "Soon we will reach** the Sisters of Judgment who will test our worthiness to enter. If we all are worthy, we will pass but if even one of us proves unworthy then we will have to fight," Talzin said. "And if we prove ourselves, isn't there something they will give us?" Savage asked. "Yes: their axes which will help us access the rest of the tower as keys rather than weapons," Talzin answered.

She also added that if they didn't prove worthy, they would attempt to give them their deaths at the wrong end of those axes. "They will fall beneath my lightsaber if they dare try anything of that sort," Savage stated. "Though they are not immune to its painful effects, these soldiers of the Goddess cannot be killed or stopped for long by any weapon you know how to wield. Only my magic will subdue them into submission long enough for you and Ventress to steal their axes away and then kill them," Talzin replied.

"Excellent strategy Mother, we will do our best not to fail you," Ventress said. "No, we _won't _fail you even if we don't do our best," Savage interjected. "I admire your passion, now let us begin. Look at the statues ahead for they are the entombment of these two warriors," Talzin stated. _Those who trespass on sacred ground must feel the wrath of Pain and Sorrow_ said a female voice that seemed to come from the statue on the right.

_You are right sister, our job is to guard the final levels of this tower and the gateway to KaiSu Lak'Ton. We cannot let these intruders pass through this door _another voice said in agreement with the first. "Are they that quick to pass judgment upon us, Mother?" Savage asked in a hushed voice. "They sensed our combined presences long before we even entered this room," Talzin answered with the same whisper.

Ventress was the first to activate her lightsabers, followed by Savage while Talzin used her magic to create a weapon for herself. When Savage looked at it, she was wielding an ax that matched the one she gave him before he met Count Dooku and became his apprentice. In addition, she also changed her regular robes for battle armor that was crossed with rows of spikes across all plates from her gauntlets to her shin guards. She even had some on the knuckles of her already deadly gauntlets.

The shoulder attachments she bore in her regular robes were also replaced by more lethal mounts on her shoulders that would cut anything they touched. "You impudent judges of the Goddess, bow down before her daughter!" she shouted. _We know who you are Talzin but the Goddess has decreed that not even a child of hers may pass these gates without proving themselves first. For how can we know that a child of hers has returned to free our mistress even when she says she has a kinship to the Goddess? _the first voice asked her.

"You _will_ be made to submit before me Pain as will you Sorrow if you do not do so now," Talzin hissed. _If that is the will of the Goddess _Pain replied too calmly for Savage to remain at ease. "Ventress, take the one called Sorrow while I deal with the one called Pain," he said to Ventress. They broke off to directly confront each of the assigned terror so Talzin could flank either one of the creatures made from ancient stone.

From there, it was easy to destroy the two Judges of the Goddess when Talzin's ax was soon discovered to cut through the stone with ease. "Now sisters, bow before the daughter of the Goddess for I do not even need to fight you myself in order to destroy you. For what it's worth, I don't think you could destroy my companions let alone me, Talzin of the Goddess," she said when the two stone figures were on their knees. _Very well, we will not defy the daughter of the Goddess in her journey to resurrect our world _Pain said.

Then both handed over their axes to Ventress and Savage before disintegrating into dust. _All who carry your blood will be allowed to pass but no one else unless they are in your company like the woman you call Ventress _Sorrow said, indicating a curse before they disappeared. "Thank you servants of the Goddess for your service even if it was somewhat troubling," Savage said out of respect. "You pay respect to anyone who puts up a good fight don't you?" Talzin asked him.

"Why not? I paid respects to the bounty hunters Embo and Sugi after I mutilated them. The only one I didn't pay respects for was my first Jedi kill: that annoying Togruta bitch who always accompanied Kenobi and his friend Skywalker," Savage answered, surprised she would ask this of him. He added that the only reason he didn't was because she was the one who distracted him when Kenobi cut off his left arm.

"Shall we continue now that I have collected the weapons I need for the continuation of our journey?" Talzin asked after changing out of her battle armor and collecting the fallen blades. Savage nodded as did Ventress shortly before they saw the once-guarded gate open for them as if beckoning them to continue on. Talzin smiled and was the first to step through with Savage and Ventress both following on her heel and willing to aid her whenever it was absolutely necessary.

** Dooku had just barely** arrived to the elevator shaft after admiring the hieroglyphs on the walls around him. Any history he could see with his own eyes was one he enjoyed but he found it disappointing that some of the figures meant to be souls were missing. Perhaps it was damage from being underground for so long, perhaps it was something else but who knew? "Sidious would be most interested by what I have seen here if I could show him," he thought aloud since there was no one around to hear him.

But having his mental fill of the history of Dathomir for the moment, he typed in a code and opened the door to the elevator. Then he ascended like everyone else who had come this way before him. Keeping his lightsaber close at hand, he made sure to be prepared for any trap; after all, he was going after the woman who once attempted to assassinate him through her witchcraft.


	54. SoD: Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

When Maul and Kycina were approaching the Hall of the Sisters of Judgment, they sensed no presence. In fact, they wondered if Talzin had destroyed the Sisters before they arrived and had their suspicions confirmed by two massive piles of sand that were slowly blowing away. "She probably had Savage and Ventress distract them while she fatally wounded them from the flanks," Maul said. "How can you tell just from a pile of sand?" Kycina asked.

"The Sisters were created from the sand of KaiSu Lak'Ton which is a shade of pale brown that exists nowhere else in the universe. I have seen this shade nowhere else in the galaxy and I have been to many alternate versions _of _this galaxy and I have never seen it in all my travels," Maul explained, pointing out the very pale brown color. "Good point, now can we move on before your grandmother brings hell to this version of the galaxy?" Kycina asked, her questions answered with those comments. Maul nodded in reply and took the lead in entering the door that the Sisters of Judgment once guarded from intruders such as themselves.

By the time they came to another door, they already saw that one of the axes the Sister wielded had already been used to open it. Both knew it wouldn't be long before the other one was used as well and both began to run as fast as they could despite Kycina having the disadvantage of limited, biological legs against Maul's mechanical, stronger ones. "Wait for me son, you have the advantage and I'm not in my prime like I used to be when I met your father!" she shouted at one point while racing toward the top. Maul ran back, threw her over his shoulder and resumed running toward their final destiny at the tower's highest peak.

"Is this really necessary?" Kycina asked. "Only way to get you to keep up the pace without wasting any of your magic before the final fight," Maul answered. "I suppose you're right but I'm not some doting princess. Teleportation means little as far as my reservoirs of magic go," she told him.

Maul shrugged, put her back down, and continued running while she teleported to keep up with him since running wouldn't work. Plus there was no way she wanted to go back over Maul's shoulder as though she had been wounded in action. In fact, she made a deal with him explicitly forbidding any carrying except when she was wounded or exhausted from the use of magic. It was a deal Maul agreed to with a smile on his face and a chuckle emanating from his throat.

** Savage plunged the second** ax taken from the Sisters of Judgment into the slot he had seen with the first one and twisted it toward him like before. After that, he watched as the final gate to the top of the tower opened for use by him, Talzin, and Ventress as they ascended to where they would reawaken KaiSu Lak'Ton. Savage could sense the life ebbing from the top of the tower and was pleased to know that victory was close at hand. Ventress felt it as well though she was initially reluctant to proceed unlike Savage or Talzin.

"Why do you fear the eternity offered by the Goddess? Do you prefer the bitter taste of death that would await the end of a mortal life?" Talzin asked her. "Sometimes, death is better," Ventress answered. "I think she's trying to break free from your control of her," Savage stated.

Talzin scoffed at that remark and merely grabbed Ventress' head, electrocuted her with more green lightning, then released and watched as Ventress dropped to the cold stone floor beneath their feet. "That will crush any further resistance to the will of the Goddess for now," she said before Ventress rose back up. "Or is it to your will, grandmother?" Savage asked her. Talzin merely sneered at him and marched on, this time not expecting either one of her pawns to follow her after this.

But they did all the same, Savage because he had nowhere else to go now that he had betrayed his brother and mother but Ventress because she had no choice. So long as she remained under the influence of Mother Talzin, she would always be broken into submission and made a puppet of the daughter of the Goddess. Not even Count Dooku promised such a one-ended deal with as massive a lack of freedom as what Talzin was forcing her to accept. And watching her be broken so easily stirred pity in Savage as he remembered when she was strong enough to control him during his days as the executioner of her will during her feud with Dooku.

"How much longer before we reach the peak of the tower, grandmother?" he asked. "Now it is only a short walk up a spiraling passage and a small flight of stairs before we reach a flat pavilion with the necessary machinations for my magic in the very center of it," Talzin answered. "Savage and I will protect you while you activate it," Ventress stated, her loyalty ensured by Talzin's regular bursts of energy that weakened her mind's ability to resist. "Good, it is precisely all I need you two for before we all share with the power of the Goddess and rule over this universe as fellow Lords of Chaos and Oblivion!" Talzin exclaimed, proud to be the daughter of the Goddess as always.

And Savage was relieved to see that she had not lied about the spiraling passage or the brief staircase before the flat platform that was the roof of the tower. "Do you see that red circle in the middle?" Talzin asked Savage. He nodded and asked why she inquired that of him. "It is where I begin conducting my spells to channel the power of the Brotherhood of Darkness to both revive KaiSu Lak'Ton and bring this city back to its former glory as a place where your darkest fears and hatreds take shape and form against you," she explained.

Savage didn't like the sound of that and hoped that he didn't have to be put against those dark powers. But he knew he had what it took to overcome it all if he ever did have to. There were very few things that he actually feared now that he had rid himself of his family and found a new goal for himself at Talzin's side. "Now to begin the spell and finally exact revenge upon the rest of the galactic filth," Talzin said before working her magic.

** "How much longer before** we reach the top of the tower?" Maul asked. "From the feel of it, we're not that far off from where Talzin, Savage, and Ventress stood just moments ago. Can't you feel the searing heat of the Dark Side burning at your flesh?" Kycina replied. Maul nodded and knew she was right about being close to the tower's summit.

"Be on your guard, your grandmother is the reason Savage betrayed us and tried to kill us both," she warned. Then they slowly continued up the spiraling shaft that led to the final summit. Maul reached for the hilt of his lightsaber at his waist and unclipped it, holding onto it as they ascended. He knew full well that he would have to fight Savage again and this time, he would not relent until he punished the traitor fully for his treachery.

At last, Maul would reveal his true power to his brother which was something he never did before. At last, Maul was about to begin Savage's true training in the ways of the Sith. _Something Savage never understood is that when the apprentice betrays the Master, he must have the ability to actually do it instead of fail at it_ Maul thought to himself. It was the least he could do to remind him of his greatest failure: his own brother, Savage.

Savoring the moment, Maul and Kycina walked slowly up the staircase that led to their final destiny in battle against Ventress, Savage, and Talzin. "Hello mother, remember me?" Kycina asked when their trio of enemies was in sight. "Ventress, Savage, dispose of these annoyances while I finish this last little incantation," Talzin ordered quickly. Savage charged first as usual and headed for Kycina but Maul intercepted almost immediately.

And just as Maul did that, Kycina moved in for the kill by running toward Talzin with her staff extended in front of her. But Ventress, under Talzin's spell, ran to intercept her long before she could reach her target. Kycina quickly transformed her staff into a long-handled lightsaber and briefly exchanged blows with the younger warrior though she was clearly the superior of them. She drove Ventress near the edge of the tower then made for Talzin yet again, stating she didn't want to fight Ventress nor did she have any quarrel with the woman.

But Ventress returned and it was then that Kycina recognized the glow of possession within Ventress' eyes. She knew exactly what to do from there, having worked on curing mental dominance of all kinds. "I release you from Mother Talzin's influence on your mind!" she shouted just before throwing an explosive charm at Ventress' face. The impact threw the former Dark Jedi over the edge of the tower, never again to oppose Kycina in her lust for revenge against her evil mother.

"If it's all the same to you, I finished the spell I was conducting and can now face you while the revival of this city and KaiSu Lak'Ton commences. Your vengeance makes little if any difference now," Talzin stated with a smile. "I am more powerful than I have ever been before and the last time we truly fought each other, you barely managed to hold your own," Kycina replied. "Funny, that's not how I would remember it," Talzin hissed.

Then she hurled a flurry of green lightning at her daughter, who used the gem of her staff to absorb it effortlessly. "Allow me to refresh your memory, dear mother," Kycina said before reflecting the lightning back at Talzin. Talzin conjured a telekinetic barrier to deflect it as she had no way of absorbing it back then launched another barrage of lightning only to be met with the same result. "If only you hadn't banished me, I entertained myself by learning the Sith's alchemy and sorcery as well as the healing arts before I began to go insane," Kycina mocked while watching her mother start to seethe with rage and hate.

**Savage attacked with** the full might of his Djem So use and Maul countered with his knowledge of Juyo in their fierce duel against one another. "You know something Savage? When you're going to betray your Sith master, you need to actually kill him instead of just set a trap and hope it destroys him for you!" Maul shouted. "Funny, it would have worked if Kycina had no knowledge of teleportation or wasn't powerful enough to bring you down here," Savage replied.

"How pathetic that you have to resort to that in order to assassinate me! I wonder if you ever would if Talzin hadn't prompted you to do it," Maul hissed. "Even if she hadn't I wouldn't remain your dog forever, in time, I would gain the strength to betray and murder you anyhow," Savage stated. "And I'm not the only one you betrayed: you also betrayed our mother!" Maul added.

"She betrayed _me_ when she chose _you_, brother. You were always the more special of the two of us anyway. I recall days where she would just stare at a window after Feral and my father had fallen asleep and I would ask her why she did that. She always said that it was because she was looking for a lost member of the family," Savage told him.

Maul didn't need him to say anymore in order to deduce that he was the one she was always looking for amongst the stars. "She even once said, 'I always wonder where your brother is, if he's safe and warm and happy'. Rarely did she ever ask me if I was happy, warm, and safe!" Savage added randomly. "So you want to prove you're better than me?

"Well it's not going to happen, not like this!" Maul replied before continuing the duel. Savage continued to use Djem So until he felt Maul's superior use of Juyo was going to mean the end of him. Then he surprised his brother with a switch to the use of both sides of his lightsaber. After that, it became more of a stalemate as Maul quickly recovered from the surprise and returned to his punishing use of Juyo against his own brother. It was a duel neither of them wanted to lose with the stakes being too high. The Goddess was going to be either revived or destroyed and that would be determined by this fight.


	55. SoD: Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

"You taught me a lot about Nightsister magic and while I was in exile, I discovered that Sith alchemy and Nightsister sorcery aren't that far apart. But of course, the Sith do have some differences I'm going to show you in a couple seconds," Kycina stated. "No matter how powerful you become, daughter, you'll never stop the revival of your grandmother and the annihilation of everything you hold closest to your heart!" Talzin replied before creating an energy orb in front of herself and levitating into the air. As she did this, the skies of Dathomir began to cover themselves with thunderclouds and rain.

KaiSu Lak'Ton could still be seen through all of this and Kycina watched as the green circle Talzin had lit began to grow wider and wider. She knew that if it engulfed the bigger black circle around it, KaiSu Lak'Ton could be revived but didn't know of a way to stop it except to kill Talzin. The old hag made the first move when she used the elements to shoot green lightning down from the sky. "Now I will show you the true power of a daughter of the Snake Goddess, Hecate!" she shouted from above.

"Wow, I'm disappointed already," Kycina replied after deflecting a few bolts of lightning she didn't dodge. Then she made the emerald on her staff glow a bright blood-red before tapping the butt of it against the hard stone ground beneath her. "Darth Zannah employed this magic when she murdered her Master, Lord Bane. Shall we use this to test the truth of whether or not Nightsister shamans are immortal _and _invincible?" Kycina asked as eight ink-black tentacles emerged from the ground and searched for their enemy.

She guided three towards Talzin in a manner that would direct her to the other five instead of away from them. Then, when her mother had successfully fallen into the trap, she guided them all to converge on her. Kycina knew that those tentacles would slice through anything and melt it away as she had already seen with a few of the pillars at the edge of the platform. But at the last moment, Talzin teleported away from them and back to where she had been when Kycina started her fierce attack.

Angered but not entirely at a loss for what to do, Kycina began to twirl and spin her staff in her hands and as she did so the tentacles began to converge on each other. They tangled and melted into another form until at last, they became one massive ball of death and destruction that Kycina could use at her will. "You were lucky to get out of that trap but let's see if you can escape this!" she shouted before pointing her staff at Talzin and watching as the ball rolled toward her. The witch responded to this attack by engulfing it in green electricity then using the Force to throw it in a whole other direction.

But Kycina saw her intent before she could complete it and directed the ball right back at her shortly after having her arm pulled in that same direction. Talzin teleported out of the way and tried again to push it beyond Kycina's reach but to no avail did it work. Finally, Talzin tried to see if she could destroy it with her typical green lightning but instead, she only pushed it further from herself. Kycina countered by pointing the staff in her direction and pushing it as hard as she could so as to guide the ball right at Talzin.

** "Look around you, my brother.** Can't you see that it's hopeless to fight the return of the Snake Goddess to this dimension?" Savage asked. "Neither mother nor I will quit so long as we can draw a breath, besides, why the hell would our grandmother share the powers of the Goddess with scum like you?" Maul answered. "Because I served her well and thoroughly whereas you tried to resist at every end possible," Savage replied.

"That's your reason for demanding that she share with _you_, a man? She hates men and she always will, she only used you because you were too dumb to think for yourself after she used her magic on you. And she only directed you to me so that you could serve her better with the skills I would teach you," Maul snapped. Savage had nothing to say there but continued to switch from the use of both sides of his lightsaber to his skills in Djem So instead.

Darth Maul pressed his attack and even turned to using some of his Soresu knowledge against his brother. It was the only way to keep himself from exhausting without drawing on the same power his brother was attempting to use against him. Though he found it difficult to do so, Maul eventually got the hang of not relying on what he had used all his life to conquer his enemies: the energy of the Dark Side and its promise of eternal nourishment. But nothing in his life, be it training by his master or turning away from the Dark Side, prepared him for what was going to happen next.

**Kycina kept pressing her** attack on her mother who was slowly beginning to tire and relent in her vicious attacks. Then Talzin did something Kycina never expected of her: she conjured an energy ball of her own and used it to attack the one Kycina had made to destroy her. Both balls met, temporarily locked themselves in a tug for superior power over each other. However, even with both Kycina and Talzin using their willpower to see that their energy weapon won the battle, both balls of Force energy were destroyed in an explosion that lit the skies for several seconds or more.

Talzin dropped from her hover in the sky and panted but Kycina dropped to one knee in further exhaustion than Talzin ever was. "Looks like I win this round my daughter, now die!" Talzin said before using the Force to through her daughter over the edge of the tower and back into the main city. Then she turned her sights toward her grandsons who were still crossing blades fiercely. It was upon sight of Savage's impressive skills that she began to applaud their work.

The applause became even firmer when she noticed that the black circle in the ground was almost completely engulfed in a green light. "Bravo my grandchildren, bravo. I never dreamed you could make me so proud of you both! Well done, well done," she said. Savage looked at her, deactivated his lightsaber, and asked what she was talking about. "Only one thing she could be talking about: she's been using both you and I as pawns since she learned of our existence; hell, she may be the reason I'm still alive after what Obi-Wan did to me," Maul interjected.

"Yes Maul, you catch on more quickly than your brother in these intricate matters. Through Plagueis, I gave you a serum that would allow you to tap deeply enough into the Dark Side to survive an injury such as that because I still had use for you. I sent Savage after you when the time was right because I sensed that I would be needing your skill in battle sooner than I had hoped," Talzin admitted. "But what about your promise to share the power of the Goddess with me, are you not keeping that promise?" Savage inquired.

Talzin laughed, remembering she had promised that of her youngest living grandson. "Savage, I never intended to keep that promise to begin with. I'm surprised you were idiotic enough to believe my words but I did keep up on my promise that you and your brother had an important destiny to fulfill. The revival of KaiSu Lak'Ton and the destruction of the galaxy was precisely it and for helping me fulfill this, I truly thank you," she replied when she could breath once more.

Savage looked shocked, betrayed even, but Talzin had no interest in how her grandson felt at this point. "Thank you Savage and you Maul for what you've done to help me. Now join your mother in being destroyed by the evils of this city. I'm sure you'll all find it very entertaining just before you are consumed by the damning fires of the ancient inferno this place once was for the galaxy," she added. Then she gathered what remaining power she could use and sent a powerful wave at both of her grandsons, throwing them off the tower along with their mother who had been thrown over the near-completely opposite side of her sons.

"Just wait, wait for the rebirth of the Goddess then I will rule the wasteland this galaxy will become after making what life remains my slave! I will become the galaxy, I will become life and death for every creature here with no one to stop my rise now!" she thought aloud. Then the black in the circle disappeared completely and the whole platform lit up, souls of the Brotherhood oozing their way down to the city as it began to engulf the tower. She decided she would let the weakest ones go to reviving the city as a massive quantity of souls was necessary but the most powerful ones would go to reviving KaiSu Lak'Ton.

While the soldiers of the Brotherhood and lesser Sith lords descended, she channeled the power of the most powerful souls from Kaan to Githany, and then cast them into oblivion. She used their power to create a beam that successfully hit KaiSu Lak'Ton's atmosphere. The result was the return of the beautiful green skies that had been a part of her early childhood as well as a bridge that connected the two worlds and almost began to bring them closer and closer together. Unless Kycina and her children survived and returned here, there would be nothing to oppose the reunion of the two planets and the full restoration of the Goddess' powers.

Talzin's only true worry was that one or both of her grandsons survived and brought their mother to oppose her. If the trio returned, it could mean the death of the Goddess, the destruction of KaiSu Lak'Ton, and her demise. She had lived far too long to allow herself to be defeated by her own scions just because they loved their galaxy too much to let it die for her race to live forever. This path and this path alone was the righteous one to follow and soon even the Jedi and their Sith enemies would know the truth that was the Snake Goddess Hecate.

** Dooku was at an impasse:** he couldn't find a way around a barrier preventing him from ascending any further but he couldn't turn back either. He decided to meditate and see if there was a weakness he could reach out and exploit just as he heard a noise coming from the balcony behind him. With the hilt of his lightsaber in his hand, he went to investigate what it was. He was baffled to see the unconscious (but living) Asajj Ventress on the ground with both of her lightsabers next to each of her sides.

Scratching his head, he wondered what he should do seeing that Ventress tried to kill him and here she was in this vulnerable state between life and death themselves. As if to answer the question for him, she awoke, rubbed her head and saw him. "What are you doing here, Dooku?" she asked, her lightsabers ready for the offensive. "Why, pursuing you, Savage, and Talzin, of course," he answered.

"You won't be getting past that door if there's a curse on it. Now that I think of it, there should be but details are fuzzy," she said. "Why would they be fuzzy, you were with her the whole way up this wretched thing!" Dooku inquired. "She had me under some sort of spell that would erase my memory of everything that happened if I were ever freed of it," Ventress explained.

"I can't afford to trust you on that, after all, you _were _willingly in league with her at one point. Why should I believe what you say now?" he asked. "Because after you destroyed my clan on Dathomir, Talzin abandoned me and forced me to find a new life as a mercenary. When I came back here, I tried to find out why and she attacked me and knocked me out cold," she answered.

"I'm feeling generous Ventress: fight and defeat me in a lightsaber duel. If you win, I will believe you and ask what would be the explanation for the curse on the door. But if you lose, you will be under Separatist custody for as long as I command," Dooku said. Knowing she probably didn't have any other choice but to decide, she agreed to his deal and hoped that the duel would help her regain her memories of Talzin's possession over her.


	56. SoD: Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

When Maul recovered from the fall off the tower, he looked around and saw nothing but sheer darkness around him. It lied in front of him, beside him, behind him, and beneath him thus making him vulnerable to anything in it along with him. Using his lightsaber, he tried to see if he could somehow illuminate the shadows around him but a voice called to him, too mutely for him to initially understand but loud enough for him to notice. "Who's there?" he shouted in the darkness surrounding him.

_Maul… Maul… I call to you… you will save us all… Arras Käsi _it whispered just barely enough for him to hear. "Arras Käsi… I've heard of that phrase. And I am by no means a Chosen One prophesied to save the galaxy," he said, trying to encourage who or whatever it was to come closer to him and become more visible to his eyes. _But what makes you… that is true_ it asked tauntingly.

"What makes me so certain it's true? Because the Arras Käsi, Chosen One, or whatever you want to call it is a myth," he replied immediately. _Is this… a myth? And I… the tower… myth too _the voice retorted with some frustration.

"Whoever or whatever you are, show yourself now! I demanded to know what you're doing here and why you proclaim me the Arras Käsi," Maul shouted. _Because it… your… according to… prophecy _it said back at him. "It's my destiny according to an ancient prophecy of Dathomir's salvation or its destruction, is that it?" Maul asked.

_Yes, it is _it answered. "Finally, a whole sentence that isn't fragmented. Maybe you're closer to my position than I thought you were," he said to the voice. _I am here, I am there, I am everywhere and nowhere at once._

_ I am the past, I am the present, and I am the future and I am oblivion at once_ it said. "I'm guessing you're a woman from the sound of your voice, is that safe to assume?" Maul asked. _How shortsighted you are, mortal man. I am man and woman, I am mortal and immortal, I am everything and nothing at once and soon, you will know and become everything and nothing too _the voice told him.

Maul was driven to one final question, hoping to gain some clarity over what it was he was facing before it tried anything that would provoke him to attack it. "Then why are you here if you are here, there, and everywhere at once?" he asked. _I am here because you are here, Maul _the voice answered calmly. Then the source stepped into the glow of his lightsaber and revealed itself to be Ophelia or at least an illusion of her.

"No, not you! There's no way you can be here on Dathomir and in this dark place," Maul exclaimed in shock. _The Force has a way of making the impossible possible and death but an eternal reality against the dream that is life _she replied. "But how would you know of the Dathomiri prophecy of the Arras Käsi if all you know of Dathomir came from me when you were alive and I never told you about the prophecy?" he inquired.

_The Force gives me all the knowledge I need for in one way or another, all species, all cultures, all dimensions connect back with the Force. You should remember that from when we went to fight my brother on Heraklion Prime shortly before my untimely demise _she explained. "I delved so deeply into the Dark Side just to avenge your death when I saw it happen. It was then that I knew I had failed you and lost myself to the Dark Side of the Force," he stated, tears approaching the front of his eyes.

_Deactivate your lightsaber and I will guide you through this darkness for I know it better than you could possibly imagine _she said. "What _is _this darkness?" he asked. _It is the darkness of your fears Maul, your insecurity about yourself and your anxieties spread far and wide enough to consume you if you let it _she answered in that same kind tone. He deactivated his lightsaber and watched as her form began to glow with a bright white light that illuminated much of the darkness immediately around them to reveal a stone floor in a building that was undoubtedly part of the city itself.

_The path I will take you on leads to a gate that cannot be opened by your lightsaber or by any Force power you can conjure. Instead, it can only be opened if you embrace your fears, let them go, and watch as they fall and die behind you forever unless you wish to test the depths of the Dark Side _she stated when they got going. "I think I understand what you mean for me to do and I will guarantee only that I'll try," he said. _Yoda once told me do or do not, there is no try and I think you would find it useful to understand that soon _she said before beginning their trek.

** Savage landed on his feet** in darkness that engulfed everything he could see to his left, right, front, back, underneath, and top. Though he could sense his brother's presence and his mother's, both were very faint and far from each other. But he also sensed he wasn't alone in this darkness that surrounded every angle. Something was approaching but there was no way of telling if it was dangerous or not.

Luckily, both sides of his lightsaber were ignited in case it was but still, he couldn't tell just from sensing it if it was a threat to him or not. He decided to walk toward it and see if getting closer to it would help his senses detect what it was better. It was the least he could do besides stand in the darkness and merely _hope _it would come to him. But whatever it was did not respond and actually grew stronger as he walked towards where he felt it coming from.

Unfortunately, the source of the disturbance in the Force moved far enough away from him to where it was as faint as it was before. "What or whoever you are, stop these games at once! Or else I will kill you when I find you, that I promise you!" he demanded. _How can you kill what is already dead, Savage Opress? _it asked.

"How do you know my name?" Savage asked. _I know everything and nothing at once, I am here and am there and I am nowhere. And soon shall you, warrior _it answered. "Do not speak in riddles fool or I will make you suffer when I find you," Savage warned.

_ Oh but I think you already did make me suffer when you ravaged me, Savage Opress. Look now on your creation and tremble before its beautiful ugliness _the voice said. Then a woman Savage remembered from his past stepped into the light of his blades and showed a bundle containing a baby within it. _He is your son Savage Opress, do you see what you have done to me, you filthy monster! _she said.

"I only made you a whore with a kid, nothing more than that. Go crawling back to that whorehouse from whence you came," he told her. _You dare leave your son behind without even knowing what I named him, beast? _she asked him. He grabbed the baby with the Force and snapped its neck with ease before using the Force to cast it away.

"Make do without your son if you're not so proud of what I did to you, whore," Savage replied. _You killed Little Jonny, why did you kill him? _she asked him. "For the same reason I'm going to kill you: you're an extreme annoyance to me," he answered. Deactivating one end of his lightsaber but keeping another on, Savage raised his blade in a striking stance and diagonally bisected the unarmed woman.

"Let that be a lesson to you, whore. When you cross paths with Savage Opress, don't expect him to be merciful," he vowed with a growl. Interestingly enough, her death sparked an explosion of light that illuminated the darkness permanently and revealed a hallway in possibly one of the city's fortified pantheons. Now he knew where to go in order to get out if nothing opposed him like that although now he knew to be careful of this city's powers.

**Kycina looked around her** and saw nothing but darkness. She did not nor could not sense the presence of her sons anywhere so she guessed they were probably dead or beyond her reach. Luckily though, she had a solution to the darkness that consumed her surroundings in all directions. Reciting a relatively small spell, she watched as a ball of green fire formed from the emerald on her staff and was sent ahead of her to find possible emitters of light.

She immediately found the shafts used for torches and used the Force to levitate the fireball toward them, lighting them up in the process. As she did so, the darkness around her began to fade and be replaced by blue-grey stone in a straight hallway. Once she had the front covered as far as her keen eyes could see, she made it return to her and cover the behind as well in case there was an alternate path to walk. Instead, she found a dead end, making her glad that she had turned the light on it before walking right into the cold wall.

Finally, she recalled the green ball back and extinguished it but made sure she had some magic power left over to restore it in the event there was more darkness. But from what she could see, she guessed she was in one of the hallways associated with a pantheon near the temple. She knew this was a good sign since she knew that if she was near the temple, she stood a chance of reaching Talzin before she fulfilled her vow to use the Goddess' power to destroy the galaxy. Even if she had to do it alone, she knew she had to kill the bitch that birthed her in order to save the lives of at least one of her sons though she hoped that one was Maul instead of Savage.

**Talzin smiled, knowing now** that her path to power was now unchallenged. While traversing the space bridge, she saw as the atmosphere of Dathomir began to blacken and give way to the void of the immortal vacuum. She enjoyed the sensation of traveling across the bridge and seeing space without the disadvantage of a cruiser or some starfighter with limited view in its cockpit. Now that KaiSu Lak'Ton had been fully restored, the Goddess would be expecting her arrival on its surface as would her people.

_For countless millennia, I wasted my time on a charade meant to bring about the return of the Goddess to this forsaken galaxy. No longer will I play the part of Talzin the Nightsister, now I will play the part of Talzin the Voice and Wrath of the Goddess _she vowed silently. "Mother, let your power entomb your enemies in the oblivion awaiting them and let them reel as they watch us in the paradise you and I will create together!" she shouted. Since space had no ability to transmit sound by itself, Talzin knew her vow was secured and that no one heard her say it unless they did so through the Force.

**When Ventress made her** reluctant pact with Dooku, she had no idea for what was going to happen all around her when Talzin activated the space bridge and fully revived KaiSu Lak'Ton. "Do you believe me without the duel, now?" Ventress asked when it happened. He shrugged and gave the point to her then asked how he would be able to get past the curse on the gate. "You can't, you have to be either of Talzin's blood or permitted by her otherwise you can't cross," she said.

As if to prove her point, she tried it herself and managed to cross through the gate then urged Dooku to try. When he attempted to follow, the barrier prevented him from doing so. "Go back to Serenno and continue the war. If all goes well, you won't have to deal with me again but the galaxy will be safe for you to continue your ambitions," she said.

"I think I'll take your advice. I've had enough experiences with Dathomir witchcraft to last me a lifetime," he said. Then he turned around and headed out of the temple and back to his ship. But not before telling Ventress to destroy Mother Talzin for him; something she agreed to.


	57. SoD: Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One

Savage knew only one thing for certain: the singular hallway to his left went somewhere. Where it led or how he wound up here left him clueless but at the same time, curious to learn more. _Perhaps it's a shortcut back up to the Temple and to that traitorous grandmother of mine_ he thought. And why not when one considered he had no other options lying around at the moment?

Still, even though he had dispatched the whore he now remembered had been called Charlotte and their bastard son Jonny, he still sensed something. He could immediately tell it wasn't his brother, his mother, or his grandmother but he knew it was something different from him. As he walked down the hallway illuminated for him by the death of the whore and their son, it became stronger and strong then he started hearing sounds. Then when he got closer, he began to hear a voice coming from the opposite end of a bulky door facing him.

He ran to it and put his ear against it to see if he could make out any words from the other side. It would give him an idea as to who or what he may be facing in combat or passing by. Already, he could hear one really gruff voice talking to several timid others and he could tell it was someone talking to his accomplices much like how Dooku would talk to him. And that was whenever Dooku was angered by a failure Savage had made such as the death of former King Katuunko on Toydaria.

Whether or not it was the best thing, Savage knew there was no other way to go forward but through the door. He pushed slowly and he found it was surprisingly easy to do that despite the size of the damned door. Opening it just enough to squeeze through, he then shut it again when he got through. "Who dares enter my chambers when not summoned?" asked the source of the gruff, angry voice.

"No one we know, my lord. But by the look of him, he may be a warrior come to kill you," one of the servants said. "Only if you choose to stand in my way," Savage replied menacingly. "Oh, you dare to address me in the manner which only I may address peasants such as yourself?" the man asked, revealing himself to be a massive human encased in grey armor.

The armor looked like it slowed him down but Savage knew better than to be fooled by appearances. His suspicion of the man's true power was confirmed when he leapt with ease from his chair and halfway across the hall between himself and Savage. "Do you know who I am, young man?" the king asked him. "You're the Blood-Handed King, famous for bringing war upon Dathomir when it was not asked for," Savage answered.

"Ah, my reputation precedes me! I like it!" the Blood-Handed King shouted. "I only ask permission to pass through your throne room without quarrel. If you let me then I will consider letting you live and brag of your reputation," Savage warned. "Nah boy, I think I'd rather enhance my reputation with your death rather than let you pass," the King said.

He swung the first punch but Savage intercepted it with his mechanical arm immediately. "Boy, you've got a special gift, care to use it?" he asked. "No problem at all," Savage answered with a smile. Then he slugged the King in the face with that same arm and watched as three teeth flew out of the man's mouth as well as a few ounces of blood.

When the King faced him again and smiled, Savage saw a fourth tooth barely dangling from his gums. "Not bad for a boy, you seem experienced in the art of hand-to-hand combat," he said. "I was trained from a young age to only fight so that one day, I would be selected by a Nightsister to be her mate," Savage told him. "I rebelled against the Nightsisters precisely because of such a fate as was selected for you," his enemy said.

The mad King lunged for Savage once more but the younger man was faster and more readily capable of dodging it. It resulted in him being sent right into the door, face first. "For such an infamous murderer, you're really pathetic in combat," Savage mocked. Then the King really got going and even managed to land a few punches on Savage though he only managed to hit him in the chest or on one of his shoulder pads. However, Savage gained the upper hand when he rammed the horns on his head into the King's gut and sent both men flying across the hall until they landed on the floor.

They briefly slid across the cold, marble floor which gave Savage time to pull his horns out of the King's skin safely. Then he used his legs to pin his enemy's legs and left arm just in time to intercept a blow from the right meant for his face. Savage grabbed the fist with his left arm, beginning a struggle of power between them. At first, nothing happened and neither side moved more than the other since Savage was also focused on keeping the pin securely intact.

It was after that brief moment that bones started to crack and they belonged to the King. His strength began to falter and Savage managed to push his free hand further back. Slowly but surely, Savage was triumphing over the Blood-Handed King and about to end his life. Then one of the servants intervened and threw Savage off his lord, frustrating Savage enough to mutilate him with his lightsaber.

"How dare you do what was _my _job!" the King boomed. Savage intercepted an attempt for him to reach for a battle axe by throwing his lightsaber at the warlord, severing his hand in the process. "I think it's time you learned why my left arm is different from my right. It's an artificial replacement for when my arm was severed off my body in the same manner yours is now," Savage explained.

Then he added that it was a shame medics had not yet invented artificial heads in the same manner or a way to reattach a head once severed. "You could survive for a few hours without the rest of your body since a lightsaber cauterizes the wound though I doubt you'd want to live that long as just a head," he mocked. But of course, the King didn't take his bluff for a second nor did Savage plan for him to. However, he did decapitate the King and tried to see if he really wasn't bluffing and the King could survive without his body for a few hours.

Fortunately, he didn't and Savage ordered the servants to clean up and let him pass or else they would suffer a similar fate to their king. They agreed immediately, worshipping Savage in the hopes he chose to spare them while they obeyed his command. When they gave their King proper rites to whatever afterlife he believed in, they turned to Savage for new orders. Instead, he slaughtered them all the same way he had slaughtered the servants of the Brotherhood of Darkness.

**When Maul and the apparition of** Ophelia reached the end of the tunnel, he asked her what would happen next. _If you can face down the guilt of your past and destroy the symbol of that guilt without becoming it, you will be allowed to escape this pantheon and proceed to the tower _she said. "So I am in a structure of the city indeed. I had suspected as much when you lit up the darkness I was surrounded in when I awoke," he replied.

_Beyond the gate lies only what you take with you. This is as far as my power allows me to go and from here, you must fight alone _she stated. "Only what I take with me: shouldn't be too hard to remember and besides, I always fight alone in the end," Maul said. _All say that but none ever learn the true meaning until faced with what they've taken with them _Ophelia said before vanishing again.

"But wait, will I see you again?" Maul asked her. _I cannot say for certain Maul but I have done my duty and guided you here. For now, we must part ways once more _she answered. Though reluctant to let her go, he understood what she meant and opened the gate to continue his journey alone.

At first, there was nothing on the other side except a rather extravagant chamber that looked like a place for royalty to be occupying. The other side was masked in pitch black and Maul recognized it was a sign of something that might be his next test in this hell. His suspicion was confirmed when the dark hole fell out of the wall, slithered toward him like a snake, then began to take a human form. When Maul first saw it, he felt no concern although what followed changed that very quickly.

Plates of armor began to bulge out of the dark shape and a silver liquid led over them until they became a suit of armor Maul recognized from his past. He didn't need to see the face to know that it was forming into the deity behind the death of Ophelia. Claudiate, the result of Claudius Draco and Darth Vitiate of the old Sith Empire combining body and soul at Heraklion Prime was back from Oblivion. Maul knew this was true when his enemy's eyes opened to reveal two glowing ruby-like orbs in the sockets instead of human eyes.

Claudiate's hands were the last to form but with them came the lightsabers he once wielded in combat against Maul and Ophelia. When the form was completely created, Claudiate smiled, ignited both lightsabers, and greeted his old archrival like he had never died. _So this is the guilt that I took in with me, I think I understand now _Maul thought. Then he ignited his own lightsaber to fight the being that had robbed him of Ophelia's life and plunged his own into darkness until now.

** Kycina had long reached** the end of the lights that had helped her through the darkness. Now she came upon a massive gate and seeing that the darkness had reclaimed her previous steps, she opened it and went into whatever peril lied behind it. Using the light of her staff to illuminate the way, she was surprised to see how quickly the room on the other side filled up with light as if her staff's light had been the key to the darkness' heart. Unfortunately, her awe at the flight of the darkness did not prepare her for the Zabrak man waiting in front of her.

With a zhaboka in one hand and a sword in the other, she recognized who this was immediately. It was the father of Savage and Feral, returned to her after many years apart from each other. At first, she ran to embrace him but the look on his face told her that was a bad idea and the glow in his eyes all but confirmed that. It was then that she realized that the life in the city was tricking her, playing with her fears and anxieties and presenting them in the form of the man she had once loved.

"Deimos, it's good to see you again, it really is," she said. She meant it seeing as he had been forced to raise their children by himself shortly after she was sentenced to exile by Talzin for sending Maul away. "If it's so good to see me now, how come you didn't see me when Talzin ordered my decapitation for _your _crime?" Deimos asked. "But Talzin told me you would be taking care of our children!" Kycina answered.

"If she told you that and you believed her, you are an idiot! Shortly after you were banished, my execution was ordered and both Savage and Feral were left to rot alone," Deimos replied. "I'm so sorry Deimos, please forgive me for what happened to you!" she said. "It is too late to beg forgiveness but not too late to die before my blade," he replied.

Hearing that comment, she begged him to remember the love he had for her and how no one had loved like him. "That's because no one was a bigger fool than I had been to love the daughter of Talzin! Now just die so I can move on to killing her alongside _my_ son and against that bastard you mothered before him," he shouted. Hearing Maul called a bastard was unacceptable to Kycina since both of them knew he had been legitimate at the time of his birth.

Quickly, she rose up from kneeling on the ground in tears and held her staff out in front of herself. "That is something I cannot do, Deimos. It is something I _will _not do!" she shouted before she attacked him with her newfound magic. She vowed revenge on him before seeing him charge with zhaboka in front and sword behind for defense as was typical of his style. "Think you can trick me with that attack again? You thought wrong, you fool!" she shouted before destroying his staff with her magic and transforming her staff into a spear to counter his sword.


	58. SoD: Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty-Two

Savage stepped out yet another door and found himself outside, in the breeze of Dathomir's winds. He had escaped the horrors of the pantheon but found himself a surprising distance from the temple he had once aided Talzin in ascending. _No matter, I have come over greater distances than a few dozen meters _he told himself. And indeed he had considering his galactic travels searching for his brother, serving Dooku, and fighting alongside Maul.

He decided to begin his walk toward the temple but not before noticing a puddle of water in his path. From the look of his environment, it had probably rained only moments ago which explained the reason for the sweet, watery smell. Since he was a child, he always had an interest in what reflections he would see in the puddle besides his own. But this time, it was his own that interested since he noticed a change that had likely happened during his travel in the pantheon: his eyes had become as orange as his brother's had been in their time together and the black pupil was almost non-existent.

There were even tiny red specks near the edges of the already orange orbs he used to see. He didn't think it meant anything but he decided he'd best check on his eyes next chance he got and saw if they got any worse. Or was this an improvement that he was looking at and not a fatal condition that would later kill him? It didn't matter so long as he had a chance to take his revenge against his grandmother before he went to the grave forever.

** "Indeed you have improved** from when we last met, boy. But sadly, it is not enough against my power," Claudiate said. "Funny, I defeated you without the improvement but now you say you're more powerful than me despite improvement on my part? Get realistic, would you please?" Maul retorted. "Oh but I am being realistic young one, I was brought back from Oblivion with far more power than I ever had facing you and that Jedi bitch Ophelia; and as I recall, you barely manage to hold your own last time we met," Claudiate replied.

"That's not how I remember it, actually, I remember using the power of the Dark Side to destroy you at Heraklion Prime. But of course, that was a desperate act on my part after Ophelia had been gutted with her own lightsaber," Maul stated. "Then allow me to refresh your memory of every single second of that final fight where you lost the woman of your dreams by my hand!" Claudiate shouted.

He grabbed Maul with the Force, dragged him across the hall, then grabbed his head, and electrocuted him with lightning. Though Maul's immunity to lightning kept him safe from harm, the visions that followed were unavoidable. Every single grueling moment from that confrontation on Heraklion Prime came flooding to the front of his mind, causing him to scream. It included the moment where Ophelia had been killed with her own lightsaber by Claudiate, the rage he had felt after lying helpless and watching slamming into his head like a tsunami.

It was then that Claudiate let him go in hopes of having made him bow down before him. But Maul examined the visions for a moment and realized something: Claudiate had twisted the truth of it around. Unlike what he had felt the first time the emotions stirred in the duel were amplified too much to be his own. He now knew what Claudiate's scheme was: to make him feel guilty and slay him with the power of the Dark Side again.

Rising back up to his feet, he took a deep breath and adjusted his lightsaber into an Ataru position. "Oh that's a new one for you, let's hope it serves you well," Claudiate stated. He went for the kill but Maul leapt over him and managed to slash Claudiate vertically up his back then turned around and prepared for the imminent retaliation. And as he anticipated, Claudiate wheeled around and hacked at him with both of his lightsabers and tried to force him into using the Dark Side.

But Maul kept up his vigil of Ataru as well as Soresu, something Claudiate had never even seen on Ophelia let alone his archrival. And just when Maul was about to attack for the first time in the entire duel, he noticed something happening to Claudiate. The combination of ancient Sith Lord and young scientist began to transform before Maul's eyes, bones cracking in his enemy's back, his hands morphing from Claudius' to Vitiate's. It was when the transformation was complete that Maul realized that Vitiate had cast his Claudius half and chose to fight as a fully resurrected Sith Lord instead of one trapped in Claudius' body.

"Now you die boy, for I have recovered my full strength as the Sith Emperor who once came so close to destroying the Republic only for it all to slip away from my grasp! I am truly Darth Vitiate, not that pathetic hybrid of myself and Claudius Draco, perhaps my greatest pawn," Vitiate said. "I will not fight you Sith Lord for I now realize why you're here before me," Maul said. "And why is that?" asked the fallen Emperor.

"Because you are the symbol of all my guilt: the more attention I give you, the more powerful you become. I will not fight you but rather, I will let you destroy yourself as Sith Lords inevitably do," Maul answered. "No, you will fight and kill me thus reclaiming your place in the Dark Side!" Vitiate demanded loudly. He attacked Maul with the lightsabers that had now turned red and Maul destroyed one of them in that first attempt at an attack.

Then he kicked Vitiate away and started to walk toward the gate that had been behind Vitiate at the beginning of the duel. "No foolish child, you will kill me and fall into darkness once more!" Vitiate shouted. But this time, Maul ignored him save to call him an illusion of the past sent to haunt him by the powers of the city. Vitiate cried out one last time before fading away at that comment, the action somehow causing the gate to swing open and reveal a portal of light Maul knew to step into immediately.

Smiling, Maul knew he had broken the Dark Side's hold over him and created a new destiny for himself. Now he knew where he was meant to be and knew that Dathomir was just the start in his new life. He was a knight of justice now but first he was something the Nightbrothers of Dathomir needed him to be: the Arras Käsi chosen to save them from destruction. And Maul would do just that as well as deliver them from the tyranny of the Nightsisters that ruled over them after defeating Talzin and the Snake Goddess.

** "You cannot hope to** defeat me here, Kycina! The power flowing within this city is too great for you to defeat me so long as I can draw on it for strength," Deimos warned. Kycina looked around, saw four pillars with red lights in them and guessed from the occasional run of electricity that struck Deimos that they were how he drew upon the city's power. Using the Force to conjure lightning, she subdued him long enough to whisper an incantation into her staff and hit the butt of it against the ground, causing four blasts of magic to shoot out and destroy the pillars simultaneously.

"Now you have no power with which to destroy me, give up now Deimos. While there is still honor in your name, give up this fight," Kycina begged. "Never!" Deimos replied before resuming his attack against Kycina. Kycina kept on the defensive long enough to observe her former mate and recognized that he was no illusion so much as a soul brought back from the Underworld and given substance in order to fight her.

She knew only one thing would have the ability to turn the man who had once loved her more than anyone against her: the corrupting influence of the Snake Goddess on this forsaken city. "Deimos do you not remember how we met? How we fell in love and produced two beautiful sons?" she asked. "I remember, why?" he asked her.

"Then surely you remember how you had survived the grueling Selection just to preserve your reputation. Don't you remember how I fought you originally to keep you in place with the rest of the Nightbrothers but fell in love with you instead?" she added. "No Kycina, do not even start there; all I desire to remember is that I was merely a shadow living under your great shadow," he replied. "How did I betray you love when I did nothing to you or our sons?" she asked him.

"You betrayed us all when you gave away your eldest son to that human who raised him to be a Sith Lord as pathetic as that may sound. When Talzin came down on our doorstep and separated us from each other and left the boys in my care, I knew what you had done!" Deimos answered. "I had no choice: I didn't know Savage was Force-sensitive nor did I want Maul to perish in the same manner you eventually would," Kycina told him, still hoping he'd listen to reason. Still Deimos kept up the attack, driving her back towards the door she had used to enter the room before seeing him and fighting him.

Now that Kycina knew for certain that Deimos would not listen to reason and was forever beyond hope, she knew what to do. She pushed him back, conjured a charm from her staff and threw it at Deimos' head without missing him. The staff glowed with the same orange light she had used when facing the damned souls in the tower and pointed it at Deimos. "Deimos, father of Savage, son of Mercury, and grandson of the head tribesmen of the Nightbrothers," she began.

"No, don't do this!" Deimos begged. "I release you from your suffering and send you back to your place in the Underworld. Goodbye forever my love, may you rest in peace as I can only hope to do," Kycina finished. Orange lightning began to surge in and on Deimos, throwing him to the ground and creating a portal back to the Underworld.

But not before Kycina came up to him and gave him a passionate kiss on his lips and saying goodbye. "I hope our son honors me by killing you and your other child slowly and painfully!" Deimos said. Then he fell through the portal and went back to the Underworld where he would remain for eternity. "Goodbye love, I hope we have a more peaceful reunion when my time comes to join you in the afterlife," Kycina replied shortly after the portal closed.

It was then that the gate ahead of her swung open and she headed towards the portal of light behind it. When the brief flash of light passed over her, she saw that she was back in the city, apparently in the aftermath of a rain storm considering the smell of moisture, and saw where she was. She realized she was very close to the temple and also saw her son Maul at the base of it, causing her to call out to him and to run toward him. He saw her and also ran toward her and soon the two were embraced in each other's arms, more than ecstatic to be reunited at last.

"Maul, where's your brother?" she asked after a moment of happy pause. "I don't know, we became separated after grandmother threw us off the tower and into the pantheons in the city," Maul admitted. "Well hopefully, he'll see the light and side with us when he catches up but I doubt that will happen. He won't serve her anymore but I don't think he'll fight with us for the same reasons we would have if at all," she said.

"I think that closes the matter of Savage for now, let's kick some ass now that we're back together again. After all, standing here and talking isn't going to get the job done and my lightsaber calls for her skin," he said. "I will do what I can to help you as far as magic goes but most of the real fighting may have to be your responsibility," she replied.

He nodded in understanding and together, mother and son ascended the stairs to the temple once more. This time though, they would not stop in their fight until they had killed Mother Talzin once and for all. Their fight would either save the universe or see its destruction but regardless of the consequences, they would try. For the sake of Dathomir's freedom from the Snake Goddess, they had to at least try.

**With spear in hand, Talzin** explored KaiSu Lak'Ton and found the place of the Goddess' rest. Smiling, she aimed her spear in throwing position and waited until she found a weakness in the seal. "Mother, I bid thee return to me," she said. Then she threw the spear and undid the seal.


	59. SoD: Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Three

Upon seeing the seal shatter, Talzin waited for her mother to register it for a moment causing her heart to pick up speed. Then she saw the green eyes of the Goddess slowly shine into existence once more, a rumble in the ground signifying her return to life. Smiling, Talzin knelt in respect for this woman who once had mothered her millennia before in the darkness of Chaos' defeat. At first, the female form of her mother was still trapped in the stone but then it would begin to weaken and break before her might.

It weakened enough for her to wrench her head free from the entombment and the clenching of one of her hands caused even more stone to break. A chain reaction caused her arms to be freed which in turn served to help pull her lower body from where it was placed in the stone like a pole on cement. However, she didn't do that but instead, began to transform into her true form of the snake. Her arms shrunk and added to the length of the coils, her head changed into the shape of a snake with a foldable hood and the transformation was completed when her legs joined and shrunk to add to the length of her scaly body.

She drilled her way into the stony floor with her head and after several seconds, rose out again before diving back into the earth beneath her once again. The Goddess did this several more times until her head was barely much higher than the mountain on which Talzin was kneeling to her powerful mother. _We have been waiting for you, my daughter and now you have returned to our fold _Hecate said through the Force. _And long have I struggled to find the means to return back into your glorious threshold, mother _Talzin replied.

** Kycina and Maul had** barely arrived at base of the tower and the summit of the pyramid it lied on top of when they encountered their first set of perils. Once more, the souls of the damned of KaiSu Lak'Ton met them but looked even more wretched than they had earlier. Not only did they have the same deformities as they did before but they also had burn marks that were very fresh. As a result, chunks of scorched flesh could be found in the blood trails as they either walked or crawled towards their living enemies.

However, both Kycina and Maul noticed something strange about the scorch marks on the undead souls. Instead of the normal orange-red burns that flames left in flesh, these wounds were green like the magic of the Nightsisters. "KaiSu Lak'Ton is probably the place where the origin of our power lies, if it is destroyed then I may lose all my power," Kycina warned her son. "But you have the Force, my mother, it is more than enough to start again if that ever happens to you," he replied.

And he reminded her that if Talzin survived the destruction of the Goddess, she too would lose her powers and be even more vulnerable to their wrath. "Let's see if we can destroy her before that happens though, what do you say?" she asked with a teasing smile. Maul agreed and when Kycina's magic failed to stop the advance of the damned souls, she gave clearance for Maul to finish them. It was all they could do to fight and destroy those who got in their way whilst they searched for Talzin, the scourge of the galaxy with a mother out to destroy it.

"Why are you so accepting of their demise now when earlier you had prevented me from destroying them?" Maul asked when there were no more to fight. "Because I realized that the only life that should matter to me more than the lives of the people in this galaxy is yours. Savage's too though he will probably never believe it nor do I think I'd expect him to," she answered. "So if everything I became is all because you chose to send me away from Dathomir, why did you choose me instead of Savage or even Feral?" he continued.

"I didn't Maul, the Will of The Force did and a divine thing like that should ever be questioned. Only accepted for though its will sometimes seems harsh, there is a reason for everything. There is a counterattack for every plan should it go wrong and that's what makes the Force perfect. Not because it doesn't make mistakes, it does, but unlike many people in this galaxy it seeks to correct all mistakes it makes," she explained.

Maul had been to enough versions of the galaxy he lived in to know that was true. Kings could be considered counterattacks to the powers of Chaos and his people the counterattack to his power becoming too great. The Jedi could be considered the counterattack to the threat of Sith dominance in the galaxy or even vice versa. As he thought about what organizations countered each other by will of the Force, he noticed something odd.

His hands and feet began to glow with a strange fire, lighter green than the one that had badly scorched his enemies. Deactivating his lightsaber, he decided to test out his martial arts with this fire but found it simple to just punch one of them. What had been a light hit, sent the creature flying right into the ceiling where it stayed for several seconds, only to fall back down and burn up and fade from existence. _This is a neat trick, let's try it with the rest of these things _Maul thought.

He decided to employ Terra Käsi with it and saw that the effects were much more permanent than wielding his lightsaber could be since they came back up every time he hacked them down. Worse, Kycina's magic hardly changed a thing despite her best efforts to help her son by healing the torture within the damned souls of KaiSu Lak'Ton. As he busied himself with this new power, Kycina stopped using her magic to aid him and observed him in action. Though no longer sinister in its intent, she sensed a darkness that she recognized as only one thing and it wasn't anything from his time with the Sith.

Despite her every desire to put it out of her mind, she now realized what her son truly was. He was the Arras Käsi, the prophesied son of Dathomir who would save her from destruction and bring about the destruction of the Nightbrothers or else their salvation. Yes she did indeed pity the Nightbrothers for their fate which was why she saved Maul from it. However, she did still agree with fellow Nightsisters that they were near-uncontrollable animals and could relate from her own experiences with them.

Including Maul's father who had not only defeated her in combat via the powerful willpower she had mentioned to her son but also forced himself on her immediately after. It was like he had nothing else to live for and the sooner he completed that purpose in life, the better for him. Though she saw no sign of that same thing in her son, she did decide it was best to be weary for his sake as well as her own.

**Savage realized he had** arrived too late to have any real fun judging by the piles of burned flesh and blood stains on the stone floor. However, he decided not to think to hard on that but instead, let Maul and their mother do the work while he simply trailed behind and waited for the ample opportunity. Then he would step in and take the credit of destroying Talzin for himself and only himself. But not only would he take the credit, he would also be the one who did the deed and sent that damn bitch off to oblivion where her new life waited.

After that, he would take revenge against his brother and mother and kill them thus proving his worth to the Goddess forever. It would make him immortal and give him the power to command the Nightbrothers for his own gain against Dooku and Ventress. They would pay for what they did to him, turning him into the monster he was becoming now with Talzin's aid. However, they would also pay for taking everything that mattered to him including his brother Feral who Ventress had him kill with his bare hand.

**As Talzin kept kneeling** before her mother, the Goddess instructed her daughter in what was to be done now. _Our army shall be risen out of the stone by your hand. You will guide it to the space bridge where it will then descend onto Dathomir and conquer it in our glorious cause before we expand into the rest of the forsaken universe _she explained. "I can do that right now if you wish, mother," Talzin said.

_I shall bless you with my power which will allow to control and guide them to the space bridge and begin our conquest _her mother replied. Her green, glowing eyes suddenly shot out bolts of green lightning that struck Talzin and began to change her. The red robes of her rank turned into grayish-blue plates of spiked armor, the shoulder pads turning into deadly blades in the process. Her turban turned into a helmet whose crest was sharp to the touch like the spikes on her armor and shoulder pads.

The process was concluded when an ax similar to the one Talzin had once made for her grandson Savage was conjured from nothing by the Goddess. _Your most proficient weapon has been returned for your use against our enemies for what is a leader if not the crème de la crème of my army? _the Goddess asked her. "Thank you mother, your words raise me up to the standard necessary to lead your armies while you fuel our power here. Unless you wish to join us in the conquest of the universe," Talzin answered.

_In a universe I do not know, you are no longer my observer. I am now yours for the best learning is always done through observation _her mother replied to her. "Never fear mother, I will make you proud of me," Talzin assured her. _But you already have, there is a reason I have always looked upon you with greater favor than the rest of my immortal children _the Goddess told her.

Smiling, Talzin went about restoring her victorious army to life with the power her mother had given her. Tapping her ax against the ground and chanting, she watched as her spell began to take effect on the stone statues that now turned to flesh and blood. Entire mountains crumbled to reveal ships that carried hundreds of thousands more soldiers than the already several million strong armada below her. Then she pointed to the portal through which the soldiers and the ships were to step into Dathomir and the galaxy beyond.

** "We've arrived at the** space bridge," Kycina said. "And just in time, it looks like something is happening from the other side. Something we need to stop before it can come to pass in this galaxy we love dearly," Maul agreed. Kycina nodded and stepped into the light of the space bridge first before instructing Maul to do the same when she starting levitating upwards.

"I've never been in one of these before, are they safe?" he asked her. "I don't know because neither have I," Kycina admitted glumly. "That's a comforting thought to know mother, why not think that while eating some sugary sweets from Coruscant?" he teased. "Your skills in sarcasm need work, clearly your master didn't teach you deception before Obi-Wan defeated you," she snapped back before silence consumed the rest of their journey in the space bridge.

** Savage quickened his pace** as he sensed he was getting closer and closer to the space bridge. "Where are you going in such a hurry, my former servant Savage?" the familiar voice of Ventress asked. "To exact revenge on Talzin for her treachery, you will not be in the way of that while you carry my spawn in you," he answered.

Before she could ask him what he was talking about, he used the Force to push her into a wall and down a shaft below her. With no opposition from the bitch who would mother his child, he continued until at last, he was within sights of the top of the tower once more. This time however, the space bridge was activated and he could use it to find Talzin and take his revenge. And if the will of the Force was kind to him, perhaps he could end his feud with his brother and mother while he was it as well.


	60. SoD: Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty-Four

Maul and Kycina could not believe what they saw when they came to the other side of the space bridge. At nearly every angle, sharp rocks poked their way from the ground in all directions, shapes and sizes far as the eye could see. In addition, they could see legion upon legion of Zabrak soldiers headed straight their way likely seeking the space bridge. Cruisers were also flying towards the space bridge, probably carrying more troops than were already on the ground.

"So this is what grandmother has been fighting to bring back to our world for the last thirty millennia or so. It is a very impressive armada considering the goal is shortsighted," Maul said. "Shortsighted how? The Goddess can most likely open gateways to the dimensions you've seen," Kycina asked.

He shook his head and said that entities of the Force were forbidden from going beyond their own domain in what they conquer. The additional note that a deity lost their power when sent away from their domain explained why Talzin was left behind to break the seal. "She needed you, me, and Savage to do that because she knew that unlike Ventress, we would know how to find the power necessary to undo the seal. It was never just about our blood relation to her and therefore the Goddess that made us so valuable to her cause," Kycina agreed.

"Yes then there's the fact that I am the Arras Käsi according to Dathomir legend, such a power could be used for Talzin's benefit as well," Maul admitted. "That only leaves the question of where the opposite of the Arras Käsi is at. Where is the Arras _Räsi_, chosen to oppose the Arras Käsi or else unite his powers with him?" she inquired. Then from somewhere above them, "Perhaps I can help answer that question for you two lost souls."

They turned to see Talzin in grayish-blue battle armor levitating above them. In her hands was a battle ax of the type Maul recalled Savage describing in his possession before they met. "Like me, this sort of weapon was Savage's specialty and only the Arras Räsi could wield this weapon with my proficiency," she added with a smile. Maul's fists burst into the magic flame he had seen earlier but this time, the flames were blue rather than green and he felt he was about to know why.

"Maul… you have your mother's eyes, just thought you should know that before you both die," Talzin said, her voice shifting to a grandmother tone briefly. Kycina turned to look at her son just in time for him to face her and ask if it was true. To her surprise, the orange-yellow of the Sith in his eyes had long vanished and was replaced with her own grey-blue eyes. The reminder of how Savage's eyes had been before he was ripped away from her all those years ago hurt her at first but she moved on rather quickly.

"Yes Kycina, the reminder of what Savage was before you betrayed him for Maul hurts does it not?" Talzin mocked. Kycina conjured her staff from nowhere and whispered to Maul about a sword she had observed earlier when they entered. "If there's anything that can undo Talzin's newfound power, it's whatever power that sword has within it," she said. Though it was hard to tell at first, Maul recognized it from descriptions in ancient Dathomiri scrolls as the ancient Sword of Truth.

If it was here than it meant that the Snake Goddess would not be too far behind once he set after it. "Mother, I think our best chance is to fight Talzin for the moment and find out if we need it. If it's the Sword of Truth like I think it is, the Snake Goddess won't be long coming once she knows we're here and know of it," he told her in a hushed voice. "You wouldn't be a match for her even if you did go after it anyway," Talzin interjected rudely.

"Why not?" Kycina inquired. "Because even though the Arras Käsi is the only one who can pull it from its place of rest, only the mother of that chosen one can wield it against the Goddess. Neither of you will reach it so long as I stand and can fight against you!" Talzin said before attacking. Maul dodged but Kycina was swept aside by the blast wave of the attack and temporarily blacked out by soon back on her feet.

She returned just in time to see Kycina had overwhelmed Maul despite his power as the Arras Käsi. Seeing that her mother was about to destroy her son, all reservations about killing Talzin snapped within her. Summoning as much power as she could in mere seconds, she screamed, tapped the staff against the ground and watched as a underground tsunami formed and headed straight for Talzin. In simultaneity with sending out this spell, she shouted at the top of her lungs, "You shall not take my son from me!"

Talzin barely managed to get out of the way before the wave ended just under her feet. The attempt allowed Maul enough time to recover both his footing and his lightsaber before heading out for the Sword of Truth. "It's no use, no matter how strong you become you will never reach the Sword! You cannot defeat the Goddess or me without it even if your mother tries to stop me!" Talzin declared before resuming her attack.

However, something with two red spinning lights flew past her, left a few burn marks across her back as it went forward then looped back to its source. Sure enough, the red lights had been the blades of a double-sided lightsaber and the source was Savage Opress himself. "What's this? How did you get here alive when the horrors of the temple should have claimed your miserable existence for itself?" Talzin shrieked in surprise.

"I found a power within me while in there that in exchange for a change in my eye color, gave me more strength than I have ever imagined. Allow me to introduce you to the power of the Arras Räsi, my grandmother," Savage replied. Red fire similar to Maul's blue fire emitted from Savage's fist and it was at this time that Maul noticed Savage's left arm had been restored.

Maul thought about how that could've happened and remembered a warm feeling in his pelvis and legs after entering a brightly lit pool of rather still water on KaiSu Lak'Ton. Though he thought it inappropriate to do so, he decided to briefly open up his pants and see what it did for his mechanical lower apparatus. To his surprise, he saw a genitalia and flesh on his legs rather than the flat plate and gears that had been his lower half for a while. _So that water has healing properties unless it only did so to make us whole in order to use our powers as the Arras Käsi and the Arras Räsi _he thought silently.

He tucked his pants back under his belt and ran for the Sword of Truth, knowing that Savage was powerful enough to distract Talzin while he obtained the blade. Plus Kycina could use her magic to ward off the Goddess to give him further coverage if it proved absolutely necessary. As he feared, it did turn out to be necessary and when he approached the sword he could see writing on its orange-red side. At first, he had trouble translating it but then he used his photographic memory to remember what he had read about this weapon while under his master's tutelage.

Then he remembered what the translation of the runes were: _Suffer no guilt ye who hath lost his way but found it again as the Arras Käsi but only thy mother can wield me once thou hast pulled me from the ground_. Maul took off his gloves knowing that the sword would react better to his presence if he put the flesh of his hands on it rather than gloves on it. Slowly, due to still being scared of what would happen, he grabbed the sword and closed his eyes in case something happened. But nothing did and he decided it was safe to try and pull it out from the ground beneath his restored feet.

It was then that the sword reacted and tried to burn him with a lighter orange fire. The blue fire of the Arras Käsi rose to counter it and blocked much of it from touching his body but there was still enough to hurt. He gnawed his teeth hard, willing himself not to think of the pain as he continued to pull the sword from the ground. Kycina knew about the Sword of Truth and knew that if Maul could pull it out, they stood a chance against the Goddess.

Which was why Maul had her cover his back from Hecate while he went about doing the deed. So far, it was working in accordance with his plan and he was more than halfway through when he felt a coil of the Goddess briefly pass by him since she had slithered by this area earlier and the rest of her body was still catching up with the head. _Shit, mother isn't going to be able to hold her off forever so I need to hurry up with this _Maul thought before tugging on the sword with all his might. Just when he was reaching the tip of the weapon was when it started to hurt the worst and he even let out a harsh cry that revealed his pain as he made the final tug.

Then the sword was free and Maul called out to his mother to make her catch the blade. Kycina absorbed her staff after temporarily throwing the Goddess off her and running to the sword as it flew through the air. At first, Maul thought she was never going to make it but was surprised to see her jump after it and spinning opposite of the way it was headed. She caught it in her hand just as it passed by her and she landed back on her feet before turning toward the head of the Goddess and making a final charge. After that, Maul turned to see that Savage was approaching the end of his strength much as Maul had earlier in the battle with their grandmother and great-grandmother.

"Need a little hand brother?" Maul asked shortly after entering the fray and punching Talzin with the fire of the Arras Käsi. Then they both ignited their fists into the flames of their respective powers and started attacking their grandmother almost directly. It was through some of Savage's ingenuity that they learned how to add the flames to their feet for even more deadliness. But Maul's ingenuity that really saved them when he noticed a green glowing platform only a few meters from where they were presently fighting.

"Savage, help me lure her into the green chamber then we'll blast her to oblivion with our powers!" he shouted. His brother did just that when he lunged for Talzin and the impact of his hit made them roll in the dirt until they had almost reached it. Then she threw him across the entire length of the dozen meter wide chamber until he was on the other side. Maul replied to this by then kicking Talzin into the chamber and using his power to push her toward the center of it.

"Ready brother?" Maul asked. Savage nodded and braced himself after making sure he faced his brother as directly as possible. "What are you going to do? You wouldn't kill your own grandmother, would you now?" Talzin asked them.

Maul smiled, signaled his brother, and together the two of them unleashed the full power of the Arras Käsi and Arras Räsi upon her. His blue flames and Savage's red slammed into her like two fists and kept raining on her, rapidly draining her of her own power. In the distance, Maul saw that his mother had decapitated the Goddess and used the Sword of Truth's power to destroy the rest of the body and that immediately explained how it was possible to defeat his grandmother. Talzin shrieked in pain as the flames burned away all of her power and even scorched her hands before realizing that not only were her grandsons robbing her of her new power, they were also taking her immortality and her connection to the Force.

Upon losing both things, she knew that for the first time in her near-eternal existence she was vulnerable to the embrace of Death itself. "No, stop this I beg you!" she said but it was already too late. The brothers used the last of their powers' essence and watched as the green chamber also electrocuted their grandmother and she began to sink right through it and out of KaiSu Lak'Ton. At last, the brothers had banished Talzin from her homeworld after all the years she had spent searching for it only to find it once more.

Maul watched as the green glow disappeared and he realized it had fulfilled its purpose in teleporting someone away from KaiSu Lak'Ton that no longer had power to be there. Rushing to find his mother, he found her leaning on her staff and asked why she was so weak. "The Sword of Truth demands years of life in exchange for use and now I have grown old though I don't look it," she explained. Surprised but not unfazed, he put his mother's arm over his shoulders and pulled her up so he could help her out of this cursed world before it was destroyed.


	61. SoD: Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-Five

Ventress came to the place where the bridge began but had been slowed down by her deep thought. What the hell was Savage saying mentioned she was bearing his "spawn" within her? Could it be true that he had somehow gotten the better of her and impregnated her while she was under Talzin's spell? Only that bitch had the answer to her questions and she could only hope she'd find her before anyone else.

Fortunately, it didn't take long for her to see someone falling from KaiSu Lak'Ton in the space bridge. It also took her not too long to recognize that instead of Savage or Maul, it was Talzin in grey battle armor. She fell so fast that by the time Ventress had backed away from the bridge, Talzin had already nearly hit the ground and when she did, she hit so hard that for several seconds she did not rise. The ground beneath her had been broken so that she nearly fell through the floor and when she finally rose, her armor broke off into several chunks and she coughed up blood.

In addition, she was so weak from the fall that she could barely crawl to a pole in order to raise herself to her own feet. "Well, well, what a surprise. Here I was looking for you and lo and behold, you come to me instead," Ventress said. "Ventress… help me please," Talzin whispered.

"Not until you tell me if you know what the hell Savage meant when he told me I was pregnant with his 'spawn'. Did he do something to me while I was under your spell?" she asked the ancient witch. It was then that Talzin admitted that Savage had indeed raped her while she was under her spell and was now carrying the result of that lust, besides KaiSu Lak'Ton's return, in her belly. Ventress' face reddened the color of Dathomir's sky with barely contained rage as she pulled out her lightsabers and nearly activated the fearsome blades.

"Wait Ventress, who would you be without me? Where in the universe would you be besides here right now were it not for me?" Talzin asked. Ventress paused for a moment, thinking about how to answer that before answering it in the only way she knew how as she ignited the blades. "Time to find out," she said.

Talzin replied by throwing a small sword at her but that was dodged with ease. Using the distraction, the witch picked up another just in time to defend against Ventress' first attack. But Ventress kept coming with the slashes from the left and right flank until she had disarmed Talzin then spun both blades so that they slashed her across the abdomen in opposite directions then formed an X on her chest when they came back down. The power of it was more than enough to finish the older witch, her heartbeat ceasing just seconds after her back made a hard thud on the cold floor of the tower they were on.

Ventress deactivated her lightsaber, sensing the absence of life in the body of Mother Talzin and turned to head off into a new life with a bright smile. After all these years, she was finally free of the woman who had been controlling her even before she met Count Dooku or Sidious. But she also realized that after millennia of her haunting presence, the galaxy was also free of Talzin. After more than thirty thousand years of striving to bring Order by harnessing Chaos, Talzin of the Nightsisters had died at last.

** "Mother, let's get out** of here," Maul said to Kycina. The older woman nodded her agreement and let Maul help her walk out of KaiSu Lak'Ton, not even bothering to call her staff back up at his offer of help. "Talzin may be dead but I still have business with you, brother," Savage blatantly called. "Not today Savage, there has been enough fighting and killing for one day," Maul replied, Kycina agreeing weakly.

"Tell that to the forces fighting the Clone Wars even as we speak! You and I finish this, here and now or there will be even more bloodshed than the Wars could ever conjure," Savage demanded. Though reluctant to admit it, Maul knew Savage was right about that and had Kycina conjure her staff before she slowly walked toward the portal, her accelerated age showing in how weakly she walked toward the portal while leaning on the staff. "Just so long as you leave mom alone, I don't mind dying," Maul said.

"I can't promise that but I know you're not bluffing about that last part. You wouldn't have minded dying seeing as you didn't mind being sliced in half nor mind going raving mad for the last twelve years! I gave you your life back in exchange for you teaching me the ways of the Sith and this is how you repay me?" Savage asked. "Yes you saved my life and for that, I am truly grateful but let me make it clear that you only did so on orders from Talzin _and _you attempted to betray and murder me Savage," Maul answered.

Savage asked what Maul's point in saying that was and Maul replied that if Savage was going to betray him, he had better learn how to be able to do it without failing to do it right. "Perhaps I was waiting for an ample time in which I could see you die by my hand, brother," Savage replied. Without further ado, Maul unclipped his lightsaber and ignited the blade whilst readying it into a Juyo stance. Savage turned around as if to ponder how he would attack his brother before leaping into the air in a way that told Maul immediately that he was going to use Djem So instead of both sides of his lightsaber.

The two of them fought savagely like beasts, Maul pressed the attack with his skill in Juyo and Savage trying to weigh him down with punishing blows from Djem So. "You are young and inexperienced Savage, I have years of training with a lightsaber and the ability to use the Force!" Maul said before really pushing his brother down. It was at that moment that Maul saw a glowing white portal and he recognized what it was from the texts he had read under Lord Sidious.

According to legend, these white lights would teleport whoever crossed them to another plane of time. Knowing he could never bring himself to kill his brother, he decided to banish him to another time. He pelted him with the full might of the most powerful form Juyo and though Savage gained some ground, Maul was quick to swallow it up until at last they came to a stalemate. It was during this that Savage combined forms almost flawlessly: switching off between his knowledge of Djem So as well as also activating another side of his lightsaber at moments that surprised Maul occasionally.

Maul knew that if he could somehow force Savage over the edge, he would win the duel for all time. At first, he had trouble finding a solution to his predicament since he knew that Savage would never give up. But in addition to Savage being inches away from the edge, Maul recalled something he remembered from the duel on Naboo. After he kicked Obi-Wan further down the reactor room, Qui-Gon had retaliated by slapping him with the side of his hand hard enough to also send him over the bridge on which they were fighting.

"You know Savage, I taught you well but did I teach you this?" Maul asked just as he performed the same trick. It worked to greater effect than he anticipated and Savage fell over the edge the same way Maul had once fallen off a bridge. _I wondered when you'd be anything besides a number in my Jedi-killing career in Sidious' name _Maul teased silently with a smile. He watched as Savage landed into the portal and Maul watched as it closed shortly after Savage went through it.

Then slowly, after deactivating his lightsaber, he walked away from the crater where the portal had once been and escaped KaiSu Lak'Ton through the portal that led into the space bridge back to Dathomir. This time though, it was mere seconds getting down to Dathomir again rather than the long minutes it had been last time. At first, he was confused by how that could have happened but he saw what had happened. The tower was crumbling thanks to repeated fire from the Republic gunships and the gem fueling the space bridge was exposed.

Kycina had been hustled into one of these gunships but was taken out at Maul's insistence. He took her arm over his shoulder and let her watch as Dooku, Ventress, and Kenobi joined powers to destroy the orb. When it was destroyed, the space bridge turned into a lethal laser that caused KaiSu Lak'Ton to implode. Then they watched as the city turned into sand and crumbled in simultaneity with the destruction of KaiSu Lak'Ton, making everyone present realize that the planet had been the source of this power and its destruction marked the end of a horrific legacy in the universe.

Dooku was the first to leave with his Separatist forces, Kenobi's Republic forces slowly following also. However, Ventress and Kenobi both stayed with Ventress desiring an audience with Kycina and Kenobi with Maul. "I don't know how we can thank you enough for your help Maul. You have truly come a long way from the murderer of my master that I met twelve years ago," Kenobi began.

"There is one way: tell the rest of the Republic space that I am dead. I asked Dooku to do the same before he left Dathomir for Separatist space. The last thing my weakened mother needs is the knowledge that her son is pursued by the two major sides of the Clone War my adoptive father planned," Maul replied. "I understand, I guess that means we're even," Obi-Wan said. "Not quite: though I no longer desire revenge against you, I still would like one last spar with you before we part ways," Maul told him.

Kenobi understood it was a duel meant as a respect for his skill with a lightsaber. "My pleasure as always," he said after igniting his lightsaber. The duel was short and sweet and once again, Kenobi won the fight since he had been mostly defensive and caught Maul by surprise. "Well done, my former enemy-turned-friend or is that not appropriate for the nature of our relationship?" Maul teased. "On the contrary, it's a more than perfect description of our relationship," Kenobi replied, following along with the teasing.

While the two men were doing that, Ventress revealed to Kycina that she was pregnant with Savage's kid and asked where he was. "Last I saw, he was on Lak'Ton with Maul but never returned after that. I doubt we're going to be seeing him again anytime soon even if he did survive its destruction somehow," Kycina told her. "Kycina, I'm telling you because I don't want this child: it would hinder the life I live too much and vice versa," Ventress explained.

"No Ventress, don't explain. I could use the chance to make amends for missing out on Maul and Savage's childhoods by raising at least one of their children before I pass away," Kycina replied, her tone soothing in a way Talzin's never was. Ventress liked that and asked where she and her son would be headed. "That's up to him since he's the only one with the strength to pilot the ship but I have a feeling it will be somewhere far from the conflict of the war," Kycina replied.

"Send word to me once you have secured a location, by then I may be very heavy or close to labor. Assuming Talzin was telling the truth about my pregnancy by Savage's hand," Ventress vowed. "I doubt she lied about that as much as it pains me to say it but come see us anyway even if you aren't indeed pregnant," Kycina told her with an innocent smile. "May the Force be with you and your son," Ventress said, then she walked away to find her ship and leave Dathomir once more.

It was then that Maul approached her, asked what Ventress wanted and Kycina told him. "I guess we'll have to let her know very soon where we are once we arrive at our new home. Let's get back to the _Scimitar _and get the hell out of here," he said as he kissed her cheek. "Watch your language kid or I'm washing your mouth out first chance I get," Kycina warned him.

"Save that for your grandson, I'm too old for it," Maul replied. Using the computer on his wrist, he typed in the code to deactivate the invisibility cloak to reveal the ship's location to them. After Kycina was boarded and settled into a bed, Maul took the controls and typed in the coordinates for their new home far from Sidious and his pathetic war. He smiled knowing that the Jedi had it covered for now but Kenobi was right about one thing.

Who would protect the galaxy when the Jedi could not protect themselves? Would there be anyone worthy of temporarily holding their place until their Order was restored? Then he realized what his new responsibility would eventually be: avenge what the Jedi could not protect. The thought of becoming a Black Avenger of the Night after a few years of peace with his mother put a smile on his face just as he put the ship into hyperspace for the duration of their short trip.

** Savage landed hard into** the red sand below him and at first could not rise back up. Then he used the Force to call his lightsaber back to him and dig his way out of the mess he got into. When he stood up, he saw only a desolate plain all around him of nothing but red sand everywhere. That was until he saw a face similar to one he had seen in the past: an apparent relative of Morley the snake who had helped him find his brother.

"Oh I know what you be thinking Savage and I am not relative of the junk-loving buffoon by any means," the snake said immediately. Savage knew it wasn't him from the female voice that it spoke with and was immediately set at ease by it. "Where am I?" Savage asked. "This is going to be hard for you to believe but… welcome to the future, three hundred and sixty-two years after your time to be precise," the snake answered.

"And how would you know this?" he asked her. "Easy enough, I am all that remains of your great-grandmother after that woman who birthed you destroyed me on KaiSu Lak'Ton," she answered. "If this is the future, how do I get back?" he inquired. "You don't which is the problem, I only got here because I'm immortal," she explained.

Then she urged him to follow him to a place where they would be safe from the sandstorms that ravaged this future desert. She added that this was all that remained of Dathomir after the Republic, the Separatists, the Galactic Empire, the Galactic Alliance and many others had been through it. "As you may have realized, you missed a lot from when Maul threw you into the time portal. All will be explained in due time while we also forge you a new legacy in this future world where no one you know lives any longer besides me," she concluded.

"Like I have a choice," Savage admitted in agreement. Though still very confused about all of this, Savage knew he would find a way to avenge his defeat at the hands of his brother nearly four hundred years ago. The Sith always came back to get revenge and now with his great-grandmother at his side, Savage knew he stood a chance of gaining his revenge. With nothing but his clothes and his lightsaber at his side, he followed his ancestor to a shelter where he could begin plotting both his revenge and the regaining of his family honor.

"There are many out there who have similar cunning to your brother. Would you like me to teach you how to recognize them from the stupid?" Hecate asked. Savage nodded, knowing full well that he was going to need as much help as possible; and with that his training resumed.


	62. SoD: Epilogue

Epilogue

It had been mere hours since Maul and Kycina had departed their homeworld for the final time in their lives but it felt like days. Finally, the Sith Infiltrator known as _Scimitar_ reached the destination Maul had selected and Kycina was still asleep when they arrived. Apparently, part of the accelerated came with a package that said his mother would be sleeping a lot more than a Nightsister probably should. It didn't matter to him since he didn't want to spoil the surprise just yet nor alarm her as to how close they were to an ally of his.

King Laertes' world of Nyx was not too far and he had actually gained a permit from the King to land and live on this planet when he needed to. It was just so long as he didn't take residence on Nyx himself that he and Laertes were fine. He had even called Claudius from Coruscant's prison to make sure that Laertes was sincere in his arrangements being secure and confidential. Putting the ship back on invisibility until they got past the security necessary for transportation of goods, Maul touched down on the surface of this planet near where he had had a cabin built deep in the forests of the planet.

It was the landing that disturbed Kycina out of her sleep and had her asking if they had arrived. "Yes mother, let me help you up so you can see our new home," he said with a smile. She did just that and then conjured the staff since she didn't want him helping her this time. He opened the ramp of the ship and directed a hand to the outdoors, the cool humid air filling Kycina's lung with a sweet taste she had never known before. When she saw the rustic cabin Maul had pointed out, she finally asked the most important question that he had been anticipating for the duration of the trip.

"What planet are we on?" she finally asked. "About time you asked that question of your son, I thought it would slip your mind and I didn't have to say a thing," he answered, laughing when she did. "Come on, quit teasing me and tell me where we are," she insisted eagerly. "Mother, allow me the honor of introducing us to our new life on Ruusan," he said.

She paused, not too ecstatic about moving to the planet where she had aided in the revival of KaiSu Lak'Ton. "I know what you're thinking but it's a place no one would think to look for us and that's what I want. Us disappearing is necessary for our new life to begin without our old ones interfering," Maul explained calmly. "Do you think we'll ever find peace even if we succeed in establishing a new life here?" she asked him, turning to look at him as she did.

At first, he had no answer to that question, thinking about very deeply as he always did any question of that significance. "It won't be an easy road mother but it won't be an impossible one," he answered. Content with probably the wisest answer she had ever heard from her son for as long as she had known him, she nodded and stepped off the ramp. The soil of Ruusan felt cold to them at first, foreign even, but after a few seconds they adjusted to it completely and walked toward the symbol of their new and simple life as mother and son: the life before the birth of the Avenger of the Night.


End file.
